


Universal Love

by EmeraldEyedFairy



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Abortion mention, Abuse, Anal Sex, Asexual Character, Basically a giant relationship will ALL of them, Blow Jobs, Consensual Sex, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff, Genderfluid Character, Mentions of Rape, Multi, Not Abandoned, Not Canon Compliant, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M, Trans Character, a lot of fluff, a wedding, except mention of a dog dying, i got tired of writing ship tags just know that it's there, i ship everyone, mentions of accidental voyeurism, no one dies, not historically accurate, updates slowly right now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2018-09-25 23:10:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 68
Words: 138,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9851060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldEyedFairy/pseuds/EmeraldEyedFairy
Summary: Elizabeth Schuyler meets Alexander Hamilton, and then she meets others. In a short amount of time a very large poly-amorous relationship evolves around the couple.A story following the relationship featuring almost every character in the musical, and then a few mentioned in the musical but active in history.(updates are coming a little slowly while i'm attempting to edit everything I've already written. No major changes, just little details)





	1. The One Where Angelica Came Home

**Author's Note:**

> Several things.  
> 1)This is not historically accurate at all in any way  
> 2)This is not canon compliant at all in any way  
> 3)If you want a historically accurate canon compliant story you should look somewhere else  
> 4)Based off some Tumblr notes I found that I thought were cute  
> 5)I ship them all together. All of the characters. Alexander needs all of them. No ship hate. All of the ships will be here  
> 6)This is going to be a big-ass story  
> 7)It's modern but like revolutionary. So basically revolutionary war era with cars and the internet  
> If you're still interested enjoy.

She said she had some good news for them. Even better than that, she said she was going to tell them in person! Eliza hasn’t seen Angelica in so long, a few years it felt like, she was more excited about getting to see her favorite sister than the news said sister was bringing. No offense to Peggy, but Eliza has always gotten along better with Angelica. After all, Angelica was the only one who knew all of Eliza’s secrets.

Her father was also excited about Angelica’s return. He was a senator, and he knew that if he wanted to be any more powerful it would be Angelica who married into that power. Eliza didn’t mind though, that was less pressure on Peggy. Angelica may be her favorite sister, but she still loved her younger one.

Angelica should be returning any moment now, and the other two Schuyler sisters were waiting in the front hall in their best dresses while their father paced. He was hoping for some news of a wedding or baby from Angelica. Eliza was hoping for something a little different. She was hoping that Angelica was announcing her return from England permanently. The only reason she had gotten this thought is because of the last few texts she had received from her sister. They hinted at Angelica’s stay lasting longer than planned.

The doorbell rang and Philip Schuyler immediately opened it himself, revealing a grinning Angelica on the other side. As she quickly embraced their father, Eliza noticed that Angelica still looked as beautiful and as graceful as she always did. As father and daughter pulled away from each other, Angelica was gently guided in, the large mahogany door closing behind them. First Angelica moved to embrace Peggy. The younger girl holding onto Angelica tightly, but that hug ended fairly quickly. Then Angelica moved to look at Eliza.

Eliza spoke first, “Angelica.”

Angelica didn’t miss a beat and sang out, “Eliza.”

The two sisters quickly squealed and ran into each other’s arms, spinning around in a circle. This embrace being the most genuine of the afternoon.

Angelica whispered into Eliza’s ear, “It’s good to see you again.” Before pulling away. Afterwards she returned to stand in front of their father.

“Why don’t we have the servants bring us some tea and you can tell us about your trip.” He invited. Angelica curtsied slightly. As it stands in this day and age women were inferior to men. It’s how it’s always been, but Angelica intends to change that. Eliza has given her her utmost support.

The tea parlor was large and comfortable. It helped that their family was rich. While they could own slaves instead of servants her father didn’t view that as practical. Despite this he paid the servants as little as possible without it being considered slavery. Angelica intended to change that as well, although she didn’t know exactly how yet she met someone interesting who she believed could help her with that.

“So how was England?” Their father inquired once everyone was comfortably seated. Angelica smiled gracefully.

“It was beautiful. I was able to study some on the war that has just taken place. I also learned much about the current president’s new cabinet members and-”

Their father cut her off, “You learned things about our country from our old enemy?” He always looked at things black and white. Angelica frowned.

“They knew us before we knew us.” She defended. Eliza awkwardly sipped at her tea, curious to know the details of what Angelica learned but not wanting to upset their father. He decided to change the subject.

“Any plans on marriage?” He asked her what mattered most to him. Angelica shook her head.

“No father. I was too busy studying I never got the chance to meet someone.” The glint in her eyes told Eliza that she was lying. Their father didn’t know Angelica as well as Eliza did so he kept silent on that matter.

“Well now that you’re back in town, be sure to find a husband. He should be wealthy and powerful.” In the end that was all their father cared about, well that and that he treated them right. But Angelica is a very strong girl. If she found someone who intended her harm she would ruin them. That thought reminded Eliza of a topic that she needed to discuss with her sister.

Her father discussed a few more topics with Angelica, asking her if she had eaten or was fortunate to meet anyone of high standing and once he was finished he dismissed the girls to do their own catching up. Angelica and Eliza exchanged a glance before heading up to Eliza’s private quarters. They closed the heavy oak door behind them and bolted it so no one would interrupt their conversation.

“I’m sure you have your own questions for me, Eliza.” Angelica acknowledged. She moved to sit cross legged on the large bed. Eliza sat in front of her sister, facing her, with her legs folded to the side.

“I have so many I don’t know where to begin.” Eliza confessed.

“Well perhaps I can begin with my question to you.” Angelica suggested.

Eliza nodded, “Please do, I’ll answer any question.”

Angelica cleared her throat, “Do you still… no. Are you still with your boyfriend? The one who wants to be a senator?” She questioned.

“Yes, but he seems like he’s becoming distant.” Eliza responded, looking unsure. Angelica shook her head. She never liked him and Eliza knew it. Of course, there weren’t many people that Angelica actually approved of.

Angelica moved on to her next question, “Are you still interested in multiple people?” She was bringing up an old conversation, where Eliza had confessed to being polyamorous.

“Yes, but I’ve come to terms with it. Charles told me that I wasn’t allowed to have these thoughts while with him.” Eliza informed Angelica. Angelica raised an eyebrow.

“He told you that you weren’t allowed to feel something.” She sounded dangerous.

“Well, men are allowed to tell us what to do.” Eliza gently reminded. Angelica huffed out a sigh.

“While I was in England I met someone. This person is a man, who is in the cabinet. He’s smart and witty and completely for equal rights. He would never tell a woman what to feel.” Angelica told her, not mentioning this cabinet member’s name.

“What was someone in our cabinet doing in England?” Eliza wondered. Angelica waved her hand dismissively.

“He mentioned something about money, I don’t remember.”

“You mean you didn’t care. You were too busy gazing into his eyes.” Eliza teased. Angelica didn’t deny it.

“My point is there are people in power that support my cause, the cause to get women equal to men.” When Angelica spoke about this there was a passion in her eyes that Eliza absolutely loved.

“Unfortunately nothing is actively changing.” Eliza cast her gaze down at her hands folded neatly in her lap. Angelica gently reached out and clasped her younger sister’s hands in her own.

“Elizabeth Schuyler, do you know who we have in this room? We have two strong, independent women. We have two people willing to be the spark to lead to a better life. Two people who are not going to let a man tell them what to do.” Eliza didn’t realize she had teared up until Angelica swept away a tear with her thumb.

“Angelica.” Eliza looked at her sister and smiled.

Angelica responded, “There is only one declaration these two women will follow, and it says nothing about how we feel or who we love.” Eliza nodded, the tears ceasing once she remembered.

She began, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Angelica joined her, “That all men are created equal.” Eliza stopped speaking, “And when we meet Thomas Jefferson, let’s compel him to include women in the sequel.” Angelica finished. The two ladies locked eyes for a moment before Angelica patted her legs once and stood up.

“Alright. Let’s have a night in the town, just the two of us. We can go to that restaurant you love so much, that tavern. I’ll tell you more about the man I met in London.” Angelica invited. Eliza grinned, eager to spend time with her smarter sister.

“That sounds like a date.” She agreed. She grabbed her phone and her purse and together the two sisters went downstairs, through the lobby, and out the front door before their father could stop them.

Neither one of the sisters could drive so they linked arms and began walking. It was a very warm day outside and the skies were clear. People would stop and stare at the two sisters, whispering amongst themselves. It was nothing new and the two women didn’t let it bother them. They heard bits and pieces of the various conversations and none of it was disrespectful.

“Angelica and Eliza together…”

“...in London…”

“...home now…”

“...wonder what she’ll…”

It was just the usual gossip. The eldest Schuyler sister has returned, the town will get over it once some rich person has a baby. The walk to the restaurant took about five or so minutes, neither of the sisters spoke in that time. They just enjoyed being in the other’s presence again. They had plenty of time to talk once they were seated at the table. It was about lunchtime anyway.

“Did you make reservations?” The host doesn’t even look up at the sisters once they entered. Angelica held her head high.

“I hardly think we need any.” Upon hearing her voice the man looked up. He seemed surprised to see her.

“Oh Miss Schuyler. Of course, we have a VIP table waiting for you in the back.” The perks of being rich meant that they don’t wait for tables. It also meant that the staff expected a large tip. Of course, Angelica was always very generous with money for the staff and servants. After all, she knew that not many were as lucky as her family.

The host himself guided them to their table, a waitress following behind and placing two menus. They had given the girls a booth, knowing that it was what they preferred.

“May I please get your drink order?” The waitress bowed slightly. Angelica didn’t glance at the menu.

“Root Beer for me and sweet tea for my sister.” She memorized Eliza’s order here, it was a surprise that the staff hasn’t yet. After placing the order Angelica turned towards her sister, and the two staff members hurried off to continue their jobs.

“It’s so nice being here with you again.” Eliza smiled sweetly and Angelica was reminded just how much she loved her sister. So much that she would sacrifice her own happiness for her.

“I agree. I was away for too long.” Angelica agreed, leaning forward to make for more intimate conversation while they waited. Eliza mimicked her movement.

“But you did meet someone.” Eliza’s smile melted into a smirk. Angelica gave a mysterious smirk herself.

“Ah, I don’t kiss and tell.” She feigned. Eliza giggled.

“Do you want me to beg? Please oh great one, what was the name of the man who was not a complete dolt.” Eliza clasped her hands together to mime being a beggar. Angelica raised her head and looked down haughtily at her sister.

“Do you really want to know his name?” Eliza nodded eagerly, “Alright, it was Ale-” She was cut off by the waitress returning with their drinks. At that exact moment Eliza’s phone went off. As the younger sister moved to look down at her phone the elder sister thanked the waitress and waved her off, not yet ready to order food.

“What does it say?” Angelica inquired once she noticed that Eliza’s face had dropped to something almost sad.

“Charles has some urgent news for me and that I have to meet up with him at the town square.” Eliza’s eyes trailed up and looked at her sister apologetically. Angelica sighed and felt a pang in her chest, not liking how Eliza was basically this man’s property and she was just letting it happen. Angelica suddenly got an idea.

She slumped back in her seat, “Alright. Go to your master.” Eliza winced but didn’t deny it. Angelica felt slightly guilty for hurting her sister, but neither sister took Angelica’s words to heart. They both knew that Anglica only spoke that way because she was concerned.

Once her sister had disappeared Angelica waved over a waitress to come collect Eliza’s beverage.

“Will you be leaving, ma’am?”

Angelica pursed her lips, “No. I’ll be having a guest come shortly. It would be smart to let him in immediately. You may find him more interesting than myself.” With that the waitress curtseyed and departed to inform the host. Angelica took out her phone and called her newest contact.

He picked up on the third ring, “Hello?”

“Can you meet me at Fraunces Tavern?” She requested. There was a minute of silence and some shifting around, she assumed he was lying in bed.

“Of course. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” Angelica smiled, pleased that she would be able to see him so quickly after they had met. Normally men waited a few weeks, believing it to be charming to a lady, to even answer their phone. She wasn’t surprised to find this one different.

“I’ll see you soon, Alexander.”


	2. The One Where Eliza Gets Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The point of view looks a little wonky in the middle whoops. It could jut be third person omniscient.

Alexander took longer than Angelica would have expected to arrive. As soon as he entered he apologized and said something about needing to stop to talk to the president before coming. She didn’t know what could be so important but decided that ultimately it didn’t matter.

Alex ordered the same thing that Angelica did and they sat in silence while waiting for his drink to arrive. In this time Angelica took it upon herself to inspect him. He hasn’t changed much since she last saw him in England a month ago. He went back to the colonies before she did but in that time they’ve been emailing on and off. His writing style was truly something to behold. Physically he looked more relaxed. He let his shoulder length hair loose and he was dressed in casual clothing. His eyes sparkled with intelligence and for the brief moment when their gazes met Angelica nearly forgot how to breathe.

She took a deep breath and remembered that she was doing this for Eliza. Her dear Eliza that was the kindest most trusting person there is. Eliza who is a blessing to this planet. The world didn’t deserve someone so pure. She pushed her feelings to the side and decided to make the ultimate sacrifice. Eliza’s happiness is the thing that matters most.

When the waitress returned she asked, “Is there anything I can get you to eat?” Angelica shook her head and waved her on. Alexander gave the girl a charming smile and Angelica swore she saw the waitress’ knees go weak. Once she was safely out of earshot Angelica cleared her throat, making Alexander’s dark eyes flicker back to her.

She began with a comment, “You’re dressed very casually today.” Alexander shrugged.

“I’ve been ‘ordered’ by the president to take a day off.” He explained, “Something about it not being right for a boss to force his employees to work seven days a week.” He rolled his eyes and Angelica smirked.

“Alexander, it’s Sunday. Who actually works on Sundays?”

Alex scowled playfully, “People who are actually important.” He mimicked her emphasis on the work “actually”.

Angelica gasped, scandalized, “Are you hinting that I, who happens to not be at work on a Sunday, am not important?” Alexander laughed and waved his hands.

“No that’s not what I meant at all!” He attempted to do some damage control, “You are probably the most important woman I know.” Angelica raised an eyebrow and he hastily added, “And I’ve met Martha Washington.”

She allowed the briefest hints of a smile to grace her lips, “My my, don’t you have a way with words.”

Alexander muttered, “Sometimes.”

Angelica ignored that and continued speaking, “Tell me, is a man as charming as yourself involved with anyone?” He seemed taken aback by the question, but he answered her nonetheless.

“Currently?” He checked and she nodded, “No. I’ve been busy.”

Angelica pushed on, “Are you open to one?” Alexander pursed his lips in thought.

“Are you offering?” He questioned. Angelica drummed her fingers on the table, this is where it might get tricky.

“Sort of, but not for myself.” He motioned for her to continue, “You see I know a lady who is better than myself in every single aspect. She’s beautiful and kind and strong. I feel that she would be the perfect match for you.” He looked interested, after all this was very high praise coming from Angelica.

“Who is she?” He inquired.

“Elizabeth Schuyler.” There was a beat of silence.

“Schuyler.” Alex repeated.

“My sister.” Angelica confirmed. Alexander considered it while he sipped at his tea. During this moment Angelica’s phone began ringing and she recognized the ringtone as the one she used for Eliza. Angelica glanced at her guest.

Alexander nodded, “Go ahead.” He said, seeming distracted. He was probably still thinking about Angelica’s offer. Either way a Schuyler sister would be nice.

Angelica answered the phone, “Hello?”

She heard a choked sob on the other end of the line, “Angelica.” The eldest sister’s heart broke when she heard this and she knew with certainty that she was right in giving up Alexander.

“My love what’s wrong?” Alexander’s gaze locked with Angelica’s and wordlessly she put the phone on speaker so he could listen in as well.

“W-well you know how Charles told me that he had something urgent to discuss with me?”

“Yes.” Angelica replied, as it was only about a half hour ago.

“He was chosen for a position on the Supreme Court and decided that he no longer needed me so-” She was cut off by another sob. Alexander raised his eyebrows and Angelica gazed at him pleadingly.

“Did he break up with you?” Angelica checked.

“Yes.” Eliza only said that one word but Angelica swore her sister sounded defeated. Alexander gave Angelica a thumbs up and she grinned victoriously. Her sister would soon forget about this sadness.

Angelica huffed a sigh into the phone, “Well I’m sorry that your heart hurts. You deserve so much better than this, and you know what?”

“What?” Eliza sounded like she was outside.

“Someone better is going to come along. Just you wait.” There were noises of traffic that told Angelica that her sister was near the main street, “Where are you heading?”

“Angelica I am going to treat myself to some alchohol.” Eliza informed her elder sister.

“Are you returning to the tavern?” Angelica checked, glancing at Alexander, who had taken out his phone and was texting someone.

“I am. I’ll be in the bar area.” Alex gave Angelica a thumbs up, letting her know that he knew where to go to meet up with Eliza.

“Drink responsibly.” Was all Angelica replied with. Eliza made a small noise in response and hung up.

Alexander broke the silence, “I guess I’ll go meet your sister.” He was looking at Angelica intensely and she knew that if she wanted to have him for herself all she had to do was ask. She didn’t ask.

“Please do.” Angelica stood up herself and nodded to him, “I’ll be seeing you later.” She knew that if she stayed she would be tempted to keep him. After all, how often does one meet their soul mate and then give said soul mate to their sister? Angelica tried not to think about it and made to leave the restaurant. She nodded once to the host and upon exiting found that it was already evening.

This struck Angelica as odd. She didn’t feel like she was in there for a very long time. She pulled out her phone and checked the time, discovering it near seven o’clock. She debated walking back in to ask Alexander what time he had arrived but then decided against it. Perhaps while talking to Hamilton time stood still and passed very quickly simultaneously.

After watching the brilliant Schuyler sister leave, Alexander pulled out his phone and saw that he had a missed call from the president. He briefly debated calling Washington back then decided against it. He would talk to the general later, for now he had a promise to keep.

He left the dining area and went to the bar, noting a very pretty girl sitting at the counter looking heartbroken. The girl left him speechless for a moment, which was odd for him. Alexander was not an easy person to render speechless. He put his phone back in his pocket and sat next to the girl, hoping that it was the younger Schuyler sister.

The girl barely acknowledged his presence, and once the bartender asked him what he wanted to drink and for some sort of I.D. the girl glanced over once before looking sullenly back into her beverage. Alexander ordered a Sam Adams, what he normally drank, and looked at the girl.

Once his drink arrived he took a sip then decided to openly stare at her. It was a way he discovered got people’s attentions very quickly. It always worked. Sure enough the girl turned and held his gaze. He noted that she had the same eyes as Angelica.

He broke the silence, “Are you related to Angelica?” The girl took another gulp of her drink and slammed the cup down. Alexander noticed that her cheeks were already flushed, and he guessed that she was a lightweight. She nodded.

“I’m Eliza.” Was all she offered for an introduction. It was good enough for him. She didn’t ask who he was and he didn’t feel that she cared at that moment.

“Miss did something happen?” He inquired once she took to just ordering shots. The next time she looked at him she was positively drunk. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already well into the night. Eliza was not in a chatting mood.

She decided to answer his question after a few minutes of just staring at him, “Why are men terrible?” She looked like she honestly expected an answer. He gave her a small smile.

“You’re too young to be so jaded. My dear, you shouldn’t give up hope.” He advised. Eliza looked torn.

“I have terrible luck then. All I want is some nice boyfriends and girlfriends who don’t take advantage of me.” Alexander looked at her curiously. Plural. She wanted several partners. Maybe she was like him, and if so then he felt that a relationship between the two of them wouldn’t be a terrible thing. First however, he needed to give some sort of comfort. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and she stiffened but didn’t move away.

“Then perhaps you should hold higher standards for yourself.” He suggested. Eliza looked at him like he was odd and he continued, “Try to date less assholes.” He clarified. His plan worked and the girl giggled.

“And what about you, mister?” Eliza lost the hostile look in her eyes. Another drink appeared in front of her and Alex stole it, unlike her he was not a lightweight.

He gave her an almost lopsided grin, “What about me?” Eliza felt that she must be drunk because she nearly swooned.

“Are you an asshole?” He wasn’t expecting that question from her and laughed.

“Yes ma’am.” He confirmed, and winked at her. She blushed and looked down at the counter top.

“Sir, I must apologize. It seems the alcohol is making me bold.” She looked nervously into his eyes and was pleased that he didn’t look offended.

“Is this not how you normally act?” He gestured at her and she shook her head.

“No, it’s more how my sister acts.” She confessed.

He smirked, “I felt that it was familiar. So it seems a drunk Eliza acts like a sober Angelica.” Eliza thought about it for a moment and decided that that was actually very accurate. It was then that she noticed that he was stealing all of her drinks.

“Sir.” He raised his eyebrows, “Please stop stealing my drinks.” He laughed again.

“Eliza, how are you getting home?” He didn’t answer her demand and took the next one as soon as it was offered. Eliza gave him a pointed look and he winked again.

“Actually,” If she was going to be bold she may as well go all the way, “I was wondering if you would take me to your home.” She emphasized the word your and he choked on his beverage and spent the next thirty seconds in a coughing fit.

He looked at her, weighing his options, then decided that it was a good idea for him to take her to his home. If he did then that meant no one else would.

“Sure, but that means we need to go now.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. Eliza took it and wobbly stood by his side. He linked his arm with hers and she placed her other hand on his shoulder, allowing him to support her weight on the walk home.

He threw some money down on the counter for the drinks and left with a Schuyler sister on his arm. It wasn’t the one he was expecting to get but who was he to complain.

The breeze had gotten colder and he paused in his walking to awkwardly remove his coat without dropping Eliza and place it around her shoulders. She tried helping him but found she was more unstable than she originally thought. After a brief moment of struggling they finally managed it amongst a fit of giggles.

He decided to tell her a story while they walked, so he talked about his favorite Frenchman. Eliza decided that she liked Lafeyette very much. They arrived at his house as he was wrapping up the story. As he guided her to his bed and helped her out of her dress and into some of his sweats he had finished discussing how Lafeyette convinced Washington to let him fight.

Eliza fell back on the bed and looked up at him with a confused expression when he didn’t join her.

He explained, “You will sleep on the bed, and I will sleep on the couch.”

“You don’t want to sleep with me?” She looked around and attempted to scoot over to make more room. He smiled softly.

“My dear, you’re drunk. I will see you in the morning.” He kissed her on the forehead and went to change into his own nighttime clothes. Upon glancing back at the girl he found her already asleep. He smiled fondly and shut off the lights, wondering if he would actually sleep through the entire night for once. He felt that he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did ya see the hints of Hamilton/Laff?  
> IT won't come up for awhile as we're focusing on Hamilton and Eliza first, then someone //else// then Angelica.


	3. The One Where It Begins

Eliza awoke to the pleasant scent of bacon drifting up from below her. She stretched and hummed softly, before flinching. Her head was killing her. Beside her a voice chuckled. That woke her up very quickly. Laying on his side above the covers was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Her first thought was wondering what this man was doing inside her room, and finding she didn’t actually mind. 

Upon further inspection she realized that this was not her room or her bed that she was lying in. A man took her home. She got drunk and a man took her home and now she was hungover. She audibly gasped and sat up, attempting to scoot over as far as she could and falling off the bed in a very cliche way, still wrapped up in some blankets. The man leaned his head over the bed and peered at her with laughing eyes, his mouth attempting to look serious and failing as the corners of his lips curved up.

“Good morning.” He greeted casually, “Breakfast is ready for when you want to go down and get it. It’s Saturday so the neighbors downstairs always feed me before I head off to work.” He offered that as an explanation. Carefully she peeked under the covers and found herself fully clothed. She gave a sigh of relief. Then she tilted her head back to look at the very attractive man waiting for her to say something, and her mouth suddenly felt dry. 

“Good morning.” She offered lamely before wincing. Her hangover made talking normally hurt. He laughed good naturedly, clearly enjoying this whole situation. 

He inquired, “Do you remember anything last night?” She felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

“Did,” Her voice cracked, “did anything happen?” He pursed his lips.

“No, but I did learn some stuff about you.” He looked to the side and cleared his throat, “Do you mind if I ask you something a little personal?” She looked at him curiously before a smile began forming on her lips. 

“First, help me up.” She decided to whisper, that hurt less. She raised her hand and he chuckled, grabbing it and raising her up to sit on the bed next to him, “Now you can ask me the personal question.” 

“Are you interested in dating more than one person at a time?” He looked as though he had chosen his words carefully and she arched an eyebrow.

“Do you mean like cheating?” She attempted to clarify, and he shook his head.

“It’s not cheating at all,” He sounded defensive, “It’s consensually being in love with more than one person at a time.” She understood what he was talking about, and nearly winced.

She continued whispering, “I used to be. I was then convinced that I shouldn’t.” The man took her hand gently.

“Eliza, you can’t change how you feel. There’s nothing wrong with it, I just want to know if you’re polyamorous.” The two stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Eliza broke his gaze. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

“Yes. Yes I am. I try so hard not to be, I was a good girlfriend. I did everything he asked but I made a mistake.” The man released her hand with one of his and wiped a tear away with his thumb. The action felt familiar to her. 

“You are a good girlfriend,” He insisted, emphasizing the word ‘are’, “I’m poly too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with us.” That stopped her crying faster than his gentle touch. 

“You are?” She checked, staring at him almost nervously. 

“Why would I lie about that?” Eliza didn’t have a response. Her gaze wandered about the room for a moment before she seemed to realize something.

“You know my name.” Her voice came out strong. He didn’t reply because it wasn’t a question. She continued, “But I don’t know your name. What’s your name?” 

“Oh. Yeah I guess it would be good for me to introduce myself before attempting to court you.” He winked at her and she blushed, “I’m Alexander Hamilton.” 

“Alexander Hamilton.” Eliza repeated and he nodded, a pleased smile forming on his face. He decided he liked it when Eliza said his name, “That’s a mouthful.” She commented. He laughed.

“Feel free to call me Alex.” He invited.

“And you can feel free to call me anytime.” She winked. He looked confused to the briefest of moments before realization dawned on his face and he laughed. 

“My dear, I think you may be smoother than I am.” 

“It’s a gift that comes with having grown up with Angelica.” She confessed. 

“Angelica.” He repeated, then snapped his fingers, “Right I should probably tell you that she’s attempting to set us up.” 

“I figured, this is too good to have not been Angelica.” Eliza could smell Angelica all over this plot. A man who is exactly her type in every way finds her when she just leaves a terrible relationship and happens to love people in the same way that she loves is just too big of a coincidence. 

Alex scratched the back of his neck a little sheepishly before saying, “I may have lied to Angelica about something.” Eliza looked at him curiously and he hastily added, “It’s not a bad thing! I mean it’s just a minor detail, but I don’t think that you would have any problem with it now that I know you’re… like me.” He finished lamely. Eliza could see that Alex loved to talk. That works out well, Eliza loves to listen. 

“What did you lie about?” She wondered. 

He cleared his throat, “I lied when I told her that I’m not already in a relationship with someone. It’s someone who I met in the war and nearly instantly loved.” 

“Would they have any trouble with you and I being together?” She asked and he looked thoughtful. 

“No. They wouldn’t have a problem with it at all. The next question is, are you and I together?” 

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t be. I mean, we can be together and still be with other people, but we should go on a date to make sure we’re compatible.” She suggested. He nodded.

“I agree! Alright, George told me not to go to work during the weekend because I should ‘get some sleep because I’m starting to look dead.’” He made quotations with his fingers while he quoted his boss, “So we have all today and all tomorrow to find out how compatible we are.” While he was talking he stood up and moved to his closet to start picking out his clothes for the day. He paused and look back at her, “You should probably go home and get something new to wear.” She looked down and found herself still in her nighttime clothing. 

“Alex, has anyone ever told you that you’re a genius?” She asked casually. She could see it in his movement and in his voice when he spoke. His brain moved at a mile a minute. He looked caught off-guard by the question.

“I could stand to hear it more often.” He decided. She laughed and stood up. 

“Where is my dress? Oh, and when are we going to your neighbor’s because that bacon smells divine.” Alex pointed at a chair in the corner of the room.

“Your dress is right there and when you have it on we can go get breakfast. Afterwards, I’ll drive you to your house. If Angelica is there I have some things to discuss with her anyway.” Eliza hummed and moved to slip on her dress. The one she wore yesterday was fairly easy to put on, but she liked trousers more. After all, this is the twenty-first century. Women may be property but they can still dress however they want, as long as the man of the house approves. 

That’s something else Angelica aims to change. Eliza is pretty sure her sister has this whole plan, and with the amount of power Angelica actually has Eliza believes in her. 

Upon turning to look back at Alexander she found that he had turned around to look away while she put on her clothing. What a gentleman…

“Are we ready to go get food?” She questioned and he turned back to look at her. He gave a thumbs up and held out his arm. She linked her arm through his and he guided her out of the apartment. It was small and quaint. She liked it, but she figured that he wasn’t very powerful or wealthy. That’s alright, she wasn’t pressured to marry into power. 

The neighbor was a very polite old man. Alex told her that they met during the war and since then the old man has insisted on cooking for him. She also received plenty of stories about Alex, and found herself wanting more and more to be with this man. 

The old man said, “I remember when he first met the general,” He didn’t specify which general but Eliza didn’t care about details, “He was hired almost immediately to be a secretary. Oh you should have seen how upset that made Alex. All Alex wanted to do was fight. His friends, Lafeyette and Laurens, pestered the general until he gave Alex a fighting job. It was a small thing but Alex was so excited. You should have seen how happy he was on the battlefield, like a child on Christmas morning.” Eliza looked at Alex and giggled while Hamilton finished his breakfast and stood up.

“Okay first of all, it was an important job. I helped.” He insisted. Eliza giggled again.

“I’m sure it was dear.” She assured and he scowled. 

“Alright fine. Let’s just go to your house so we can go on a date.” He continued to be in a huff until they reached his car. It was a cheap thing but at least he had one. This was another thing that made Eliza wonder what his job was. She assumed he was a journalist. 

Upon getting in Eliza found that the car was very comfortable. Hamilton frowned for a moment before rolling down the window.

He glanced at her guilty then explained, “My air-conditioning doesn’t work. I’m sorry if this messes up your hair.” Eliza only laughed giddily in response. 

“I don’t fret about my hair.” She comforted and he winked.

“I’d love to see your hair messy, like fingers have run through it.” He flirted. 

“Woo me today and you might.” Eliza winked back. She wasn’t as witty as Angelica, but she could hold this type of conversation fairly well. Alexander laughed.

“I like this type of challenge.” 

As he drove she was pleased to find that he doesn’t speed. Of course, he doesn’t go below the limit either. With his eyes on the road she found this to be the perfect time to stare at him some more. 

He kept one hand on the wheel and one arm was resting on the window. His fingers on the car door tapped a rhythm that only he heard. The wind tousled his hair quite nicely, and it looked very soft. She fantasized for only a moment about  running her fingers through it before she remembered his earlier comment and blushed. 

They didn’t talk until they got to the Schuyler mansion. Alexander whistled at they pulled into the driveway. He got out first then walked around the open the door for Eliza. She let him help her out of the car and then turned to look at the vehicles still parked. 

“Angelica’s not here.” She sighed. Alexander looked at the cars and pointed.

“Her car’s here.” He commented. 

Eliza explained, “Angelica took the motorcycle. She likes to ride it instead of driving. It allows her to feel free.” 

Alexander smiled brightly, “Angelica rides a motorcycle?” He repeated, framing it like a question. Eliza nodded and Alex continued, “What about you? Do you have any cool secrets?” 

Eliza thought about it while they entered through the side door, “I can beatbox.” She said finally. Alexander’s eyes twinkled but he didn’t give a verbal response. He didn’t need too, Eliza blushed anyway. 

They reached her room and she paused in front of the door, as far as she could remember it was clean. She turned to look at Hamilton and found him looking down the hall, staring at Angelica’s door specifically. He knew it was Angelica’s because it had her name still carved into it from when she went through that phase when they were children. 

She cleared her throat and his gaze snapped back to her, “Normally guys need to wait until the third date at least to see my room.” She explained. The corners of his lips flickered upwards.

“I feel honored.” He put his hand over his heart and she nodded, satisfied. She opened the door and went immediately to her closet. She saw Alex go over to her desk where she was in the middle of writing a letter and pick it up. 

“Should I wear a dress or jeans today?” She asked, pulling his attention away from her letter. It was neat to him, no one writes letters anymore. He was silent for a moment before shrugging.

“Wear whatever you want. If anyone asks I’ll support it.” He told her and she smiled, enjoying that he seemed for be for equal rights. She wondered how he felt about slavery. That’s still a very large issue in this society. Eliza chose a pair of fitted faded jeans and a t-shirt. With it she chose her sneakers, just in case they decided to walk around. She moved to her dressing room and quickly changed everything and upon returned she saw Hamilton rake his gaze over her, looking very appreciative. 

“You know what Elizabeth Schuyler.” He began, still not looking at her face. She blushed for the third time in the last hour. 

“What Alexander Hamilton?” She responded playfully. His gaze met hers, like a key fitting into a lock.

“I think we are going to work out very well.” He decided. Eliza couldn’t help but smile in agreement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angelica Schuyler rides a motorcycle. Pass it on.


	4. The One with the Washingtons

After getting dressed, Eliza went into her private bathroom to apply some makeup. Hamilton made a noise in the back of his throat but didn’t comment, opting instead to lay on her bed. She heard him curse quietly and leaned back to stare at him. 

The bathroom was adjacent to her bedroom, so all she had to do was lean back a little and she could see him. He had an arm flung over his eyes and his mouth had dropped open slightly.

Eliza smiled before asking, “Are you alright Alex?”

He peeked at her, “No.” Eliza giggled, applying some lip gloss before turning to look at him, leaning against the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” She teased. He braced himself up on his forearms, looking at her very seriously.

“You bed is fucking comfortable.” He told her very seriously. 

Eliza raised an eyebrow, “It’s alright.” She admitted. 

“Alright. Eliza, I would spend the rest of my life just being with you if it meant sleeping in this bed for one night.” Alexander relaxed back completely onto the bed and moaned. Eliza felt her cheeks heat up again and she abruptly turned away from him. She decided that she didn’t want to overdo the makeup and took a moment to compose herself before walking out. 

Alexander blinked at her before sitting up completely, “Are we ready?” He inquired. 

Eliza nodded and smiled sweetly, “Yes sir. I’m all done.” Alex squinted at her for a moment.

“You didn’t do much.” He commented. Eliza frowned for a moment.

“Should I have?” She suddenly felt underdressed until Hamilton’s eyes widened and he started shaking his head.

“No that’s not what I meant. It’s just you were in there for longer than what you did.” He tried to fix it and Eliza raised an eyebrow. He sighed, “I can tell that you and Angelica are related.” 

“Did you say something stupid and she just stared at you while you tried to fix it?” Eliza guessed. 

Hamilton winked, “Bingo.” Eliza hummed and held out a hand to pull him off of her bed. She did like the sight of him lying there though, maybe a little too much too soon. Of course, she’d already slept on his bed, it was only fair that he sleep in hers. 

She continued on this path that her thoughts were taking until she was on the stairs leading down to the lobby. She watched Alexander stumble down a few steps before righting himself and glancing around. He then straightened his spine and continued walking down like nothing happened. Eliza filed that away for later. 

She glanced around and was pleased to find that her father was away. She didn’t want that awkward meeting between Hamilton and Philip Schuyler to happen just this moment. Especially because Hamilton didn’t have a high ranking job. 

They stayed silent until they got inside Hamilton’s car, and once inside Eliza turned up the radio to a random station and listen as Hamilton knew every song. She changed the station to a completely different tune and he still knew every song that played. 

They were caught in traffic so this gave Eliza plenty of time to play this game. She changed it to another, and left in the middle of a song and it moved to the middle of another song. Hamilton didn’t miss a beat and Eliza found herself laughing. Once Eliza started laughing so did Hamilton. 

Eventually Eliza managed to get out the word, “How?” Which made Hamilton laugh harder.

“I have too much free time.” He admitted once the laughter subsided. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, what is your job?” His comment on free time reminded her that she still didn’t know for sure that exact thing. Alex shrugged.

“I’m just a government worker.” He told her vaguely, before pulling into a parking spot. Eliza hadn’t realized that they arrived at their destination, she was too focused on Hamilton. He got out of the car before her and opened the door, still chivalrous. Eliza blinked in the bright sun, noticing for the first time that the windows of Hamilton’s car are tinted. 

Once her eyes adjusted she noticed that they were at the movies. 

“Really? A movie theatre?” She gave him a look. He took her hand and held it as he walked in. 

“What? I can be classy too.” He held his head high and winked at her. Eliza smirked but didn’t reply to that. Upon reaching the ticket booth the receptionist blinked at him with recognition, clearly surprised to see him. 

He stood up taller and saluted, “Mister Hamilton! Are you here for the same show that President Washington is watching?” Hamilton glanced at Eliza, who was wearing a look of shock. 

“What’s he watching? He has really boring taste in movies, unless Martha is here with him.” Hamilton turned to Eliza to explain, “Martha is the only one of them whose taste in movies doesn’t suck.” 

“Martha Washington? Like George Washington’s wife?” Eliza’s voice came out as shocked as she felt. Hamilton looked at her like he thought she was ill.

“What other Martha would I be talking about?” He looked at the receptionist and rolled his eyes. 

“Miss Washington is not here. Vice President Adams is here with the President though.” He informed them. Hamilton groaned loudly. 

“Give me the furthest theatre from them.” He demanded. Eliza tapped his elbow several times. 

“I actually really want to see what movie they’re watching.” She told him. Alexander stared at her in disbelief. 

“I’m willing to bet you my job that it’s some boring documentary about the French.” He turned back to the receptionist and said in defeat, “Give us the seats next to them.” The receptionist nodded.

“Do you want any snacks?” Hamilton frowned and peered at the snacks board before shrugging.

“Eliza do you want anything?” He turned to look at her once more. 

“Yes. I want popcorn and water.” 

“You want a water.” Hamilton repeated and she nodded, confident with her decision, 

“Alright, give us a large water and a large popcorn.” Hamilton said the word water like it was a dirty word, before looking back at the lady, “Do you want your popcorn to be flavored?”

“No.” Eliza shook her head and watched as Hamilton paid for the stuff and took the tickets and water, leaving the popcorn for her to grab. He hung his head and walked defeated to their destination. Eliza walked behind him, suddenly very nervous to actually meet the President and Vice President of their new nation. The only thing that would make this more nerve wracking would be if Thomas Jefferson were there too. 

They entered the room and Hamilton walked to the side, where Eliza saw the unmistakeable figure of the two most powerful men in the country. Hamilton sat next to them, somehow looking elegant and ungraceful at the same time. Eliza joined him, trying not to stare at President Washington. 

“What are you doing here Hamilton?” John Adams did not sound pleased to see him here. Eliza wondered if they didn’t get along. She turned to look and accidentally met Washington’s eyes. The man nodded at her and looked at Hamilton, who was glaring at Adams. 

“I was forced to come rescue the President from some boring French documentary.” Alexander smirked. 

“How did you know what we were watching?” Washington sounded amused. Hamilton rolled his eyes.

“With all due respect, sir, your taste in the arts is the worst thing since mac and cheese.” Hamilton looked at Eliza, “Thomas Jefferson sent some from France and it was honestly the most disgusting thing I have ever had, and I once ate our own horses.” 

“The horses weren’t terrible.” Washington mused. 

“The mac and cheese was.” Hamilton argued, and Eliza briefly wondered who he was arguing with. No one was against him.

Adams sighed loudly, “Hamilton would you shut up? Some people are trying to enjoy life.” Upon glancing around Eliza realized that everyone in the theatre had turned to stare at them, clearly enjoying this show more than the one they were watching.

“Excuse you I am the most enjoyable thing in this room.” As an afterthought Hamilton added, “Besides Eliza.” 

“Eliza. Let’s talk about the lady you’ve brought.” Washington turned and once more looked to the lady. Adams also turned to look and Eliza got the distinct feeling that she didn’t like him. 

“Oh right. Washington, Fatty,” He addressed both of them in turn, “This is my wonderful date, Elizabeth Schuyler. Eliza this is Washington and Fatty.” 

“How can you call the vice-president Fatty?” Eliza looked shocked. 

“Vice-president is an over glorified title.” Hamilton launched into this rant like he had millions of times, “He makes no decisions, no one cares about his opinions, he’s only around because Washington hasn’t gotten sick of him yet. He doesn’t even have a real job-” 

Washington interrupted, “Son.”

Hamilton shot back, “Don’t call me son.” Washington ignored him and continued talking.

“Does Miss Schuyler know what your job is?” He inquired. Eliza shook her head, her curiosity peaked. 

“Oh, I guess I never told you. I’m the Treasury Secretary. An actual job.” Hamilton clarified and Eliza stared at him blankly for a moment. 

“My job is twice as important as yours you bastard.” Adams hissed. Hamilton scoffed. 

“Yet who is it who writes all of Washington’s stuff and which one of us is the leader of the Federalist Party?”

“I am.” Adams insisted.

“In title only. With one essay I could ruin you.” Hamilton smirked, knowing he won. 

“Wait.” Eliza interrupted the bickering and noticing vaguely that Washington looked relieved, “You’re the person that Angelica met in London.” 

Hamilton nodded in confirmation, “Yeah. I went instead of Adams because we actually wanted to accomplish something.” Washington sighed and stood up.

“Well, my movie is successfully ruined. Vice-president Adams, I’ll see you at work. Hamilton, if you would.” He gestured to the exit and Hamilton stood up, grabbing Eliza’s hand and pulling her with him. They exited the theatre with Washington in tow. 

“Are you hungry? You didn’t touch your popcorn.” Hamilton looked at Eliza concerned. 

“I was just enjoying the show.” Eliza looked at him with an amused expression.

“I wasn’t even paying attention to the documentary.” Hamilton confessed and Eliza and Washington exchanged a look. The President moved to walk next to them instead of behind them. 

“Neither was I.” Eliza told him and Hamilton looked confused for a moment before laughing. 

“I guess if you’ve never seen us argue it’s pretty interesting.” 

“It gets old.” Washington sounded tired. 

“I thought you were going to physically fight.” Eliza informed, her expression becoming worried. Hamilton squeezed her hand once in comfort.

“I would kick his ass.” He snickered. On their way out the door to outside the building Eliza threw away the popcorn and water. 

“It wouldn’t come to that.” Washington interjected. 

“Sir.” Hamilton turned to Washington, as if just realizing that he was there, “It’s lunch time. Are you hungry?” The President considered it for a moment. 

“Actually, Martha is preparing a meal for when the movie ended. We could go to my house and the ladies could talk while you and I began drafting up my speech for Thursday.” Washington decided. 

“Of course. Did Adams drive you?” He glanced around the parking lot for Washington’s vehicle. 

“Yes. We’ll be taking your car to my home.” Hamilton nodded and lead the two to his car, opening the back door for Eliza. He then opened the passenger door for the President and finally got into the driver’s seat. Neither man in the front turned on the radio or started up a conversation and Eliza found herself wishing Angelica were here. She would have something to say. 

Finally Hamilton cleared his throat, not enjoying silences in the least, “When is Jefferson set to come home?” He wondered, curious because the Secretary of State was the only one not at work every day. 

Instead of answering the question Washington said, “I doubt you two will get along.” Hamilton snorted.

“We could actually become the best of friends.” He defended. 

“He owns slaves.” Washington reminded.

“Oh yeah. You’re right I hate him.” 

ELiza piped up, “You haven’t even met him.” 

“I can hate someone without meeting them.” 

“You can hate their political views without hating them.” Eliza argued. 

“He hates women.” 

“He actually respects women.” Washington casually informed them. 

“Angelica wants to meet him.” Eliza told Hamilton and the other gave her a look in the mirror. 

“No way. Angelica needs to be team Hamilton.” Hamilton insisted stubbornly.

“Team Hamilton?” Washington turned and looked at the younger man. 

“Yes. People who agree with me and aren’t terrible people.” Hamilton nodded, satisfied with himself.

“Are there Team Hamilton t-shirts?” Eliza wondered.

“Yes.” Hamilton nodded in confirmation.

“Who owns one other than you?” She teased.

“Laurens.” 

“I don’t think Laurens has a Team Hamilton t-shirt.” Washington frowned, “He just has a Team Hamilton boyfriend.” 

“That’s all he needs.” Hamilton grinned. 

“Then can I get away with just having a Team Hamilton boyfriend?” Eliza asked. 

“Am I your boyfriend?” Hamilton shot back. 

“If I don’t need to get a shirt.” Eliza responded and Hamilton groaned.

“Fine.” 

At the end of this conversation they reached the Washington estate. 

“On that note, let’s go see what Martha’s up to.” Washington got out of the car and Eliza followed suit, both before Hamilton could let them out. Hamilton muttered something under his breath but followed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who wants a Team Hamilton t-shirt?


	5. The One with the Games with the Washingtons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have no idea how awkward it was for me to refer to George Washington by his first name. I couldn't just say Washington because Martha is there too so I was like "Is this really okay? Can I do this?"

If Eliza thought that her own mansion was fancy, then this one was extravagant. She frowned slightly at the slaves bustling about and noticed that Hamilton eyed them once before visibly shaking his head and moving on. A beautiful slave woman was standing on the porch, cradling a child. The woman nodded to George as he bent down to kiss the child's forehead, and upon closer inspection Eliza saw that the child was actually the president's. She assumed that meant the slave woman was taking care of the child in Martha's place.

Another slave hurried and opened the door for them, and upon entering Eliza felt a blast of cooler air from the air conditioning. The contrast from the summer heat felt nice. The house's interior was impeccably clean, the wooden floor of the entry way shined. 

She heard footsteps coming from the carpeted part of the house adjacent to the front lobby, and she turned to see the beautiful first lady wearing a simple dress coming towards them. The lady stopped in front of George and gave him an amused look. They communicated silently for a moment before Martha turned to stand in front of Hamilton.

She said good-naturedly, “My husband left with his vice-president and returned with his Hamilton.” Alexander smiled warmly and leaned forward to embrace her. Upon pulling away he shot a wink at Eliza that got the younger girl feeling hopeful. She could already tell that she wouldn't mind dating the leader of this country. She also wouldn't mind dating George Washington.

Hamilton responded, “I had to rescue him from poor life choices. I'm too good a civilian to not save an innocent man from spending a day with John Adams.” When he said the name of the vice-president his nose scrunched up like the name was the worst thing he had ever eaten.

“Then I owe you a great debt,” Martha curtseyed then turned to look at Eliza, “and who is this pretty young thing?” Eliza smiled at her and Hamilton laughed.

“Martha, this is my girlfriend Eliza. Eliza this is Martha Washington.” He introduced. The two ladies shook hands and shared fond looks. George clasped Hamilton on the shoulder.

“Martha,” he addressed his wife, “when will lunch be ready?” 

“Two hours. I expected you to be at your movie for this time. Now I need to make enough for Hamilton too.” She shook her head, “Oh Alexander. You're trouble.” She placed a hand on her cheek and Alexander rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I'm sorry that I’m human and therefore need food to survive.” He replied sarcastically. Martha laughed.

“I'm only kidding my dear. You actually need to eat more, three meals a day, okay? No more skipping meals.” Martha wagged her finger at him like he was a troubled kid.

Hamilton defended himself, “I ate breakfast today! And I'm going to eat lunch.” 

“And supper?” Martha checked. Alex grumbled something under his breath.

“He’ll eat supper.” Eliza assured. Martha nodded then moved to link arms with Eliza as though they were close friends.

“Then I won't bother you two men any longer.” Martha shot a wink at Eliza and suggested, “Why don't you and I go to the tea parlor and get acquainted?”

“Then Alexander and I will go to my office and work.” George decided.

“I'll see you in two hours.” Martha began to lead Eliza further into the home before they were stopped by Alex lightly grabbing Eliza’s elbow.

“Can I talk to Eliza in private for just a moment?” He requested, not waiting for an answer and just pulling her away. The Washingtons shared a look and turned to have their own conversation. 

Alex guided Eliza out of earshot before whispering, “Not yet.”

“What?” At first she didn't understand what he meant.

He clarified, “I get that you want them to join us but not yet. You gotta meet John first.”

“We really need to set up some guidelines.” Eliza told him seriously. He nodded in agreement.

“Alright, here's a quick overview of what I think.” He paused to gather his thoughts, “You and I are the main two. We stick together, yeah?”

“Alright.” She figured she could get used to that.

“Like we’re the only steady ones. We can both date whoever we want as long as it's just a fling or something.” 

“Define fling or something.” Eliza requested.

“Like going on dates and having unmeaningful sex.” He explained.

“That's fair.”

“If the fling starts being serious then we bring them in. Like I saw you checking you Tabitha, the slave holding the child. You can date Tabitha but as soon as it starts becoming something serious she needs to understand that you're taken.” 

“Does the same apply to you?” Hamilton placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Eliza, I can picture myself marrying you. This has never happened before. I can't even see myself marrying Laurens, and I love him. Everything I ask of you I will also do.” He swore. Eliza nodded satisfied with his answer. She noticed out of the corner of her eyes that Washington and Martha had walked away, probably to their separate destinations. She mentally reminded herself to ask Alex to take her to the tea parlor because she has no idea where anything is in this house. 

“Then who is Laurens in this?” Eliza wondered.

“Well, this is where it gets complicated. See, I love him more than I love you. I mean I just met you yesterday. However, I can see myself loving you more after a while. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to stop loving him, it just means that I would marry you while I would maybe not marry him.” Hamilton rambled, “In three days I’ll introduce you two. I really want you guys to get along well enough to where I can be serious with both of you.”

“Alright I think I followed that.” Eliza told him, “But why three days?” 

“He comes home in three days.” 

“Isn’t he going to be surprised when he comes home and you have a girlfriend whom you can see yourself marrying?” 

Alex thought about it for a moment, “Nah I think it’s fine. He’s pretty understanding.” 

“One last thing,” Eliza began, “Our hosts left.” Alexander looked around as if noticing  their surrounding for the first time. 

“Oh, would you look at that. Maybe we should have had this discussion somewhere else…” He trailed off then slid his hands down her arms until their hands interlocked, “Come on, I’ll show you where Martha went.”  He pulled her through the house, stopping to nod at Tabitha, who was entering from outside. 

Eliza began swinging their hands back and forth and giggled when Hamilton joined in just as enthusiastically. The house was large enough to where they could comfortably start skipping like some lovestruck teenagers. That’s how they entered the parlor where Martha was waiting for her. 

“My lady, your stop.” Hamilton released Eliza’s hand and bowed. Eliza curtseyed, pretending she was holding a dress.

“Thank you for the escort.” She replied formally. He gave her a peck on the cheek and left the room to find the President. 

Eliza turned to look at Martha who was giving her a sly look. 

“What?” Eliza walked to sit next to Martha on the loveseat. 

Martha sighed, “How did you do that?” 

“Do what?” Eliza glanced back to the door where Hamilton had left.

“You’ve nearly domesticated him!” Martha exclaimed joyfully. Eliza laughed.

“Hardly. This is just fun.” She assured. Martha looked at her with a knowing mien. 

“I have known him for several years. He has brought several girlfriends and boyfriends here for me to meet. The only one I’ve seen come close to giving him as much happiness as you’ve given him was Laurens.” Martha placed a hand over Eliza’s, “So what’s really going on?” Eliza considered how much to tell the other woman when she decided that the other happened to be the strongest woman in the country, surely she could talk freely.

“We met yesterday.” Eliza confessed. Martha leaned forward.

“Yesterday?” She repeated.

Eliza nodded, “I was drunk too. So I supposed we really just met today. Also I had just been dumped, so I was really only looking for rebound.”

Martha shook her head, “And instead you found Hamilton.” She murmured.

“He’s made me happier in this one day than my ex did in five years.” Eliza confided.

“That’s fast paced.” Martha commented. Eliza frowned, realizing that the other was right. Martha noticed her look and added, “Not for Hamilton, but for any normal girl. Hamilton is always rushing everything. Don’t be surprised if he proposes within a month.”

“A month?” Eliza looked at Martha alarmed. Martha opened her mouth to reply but they were interrupting with a slave, not Tabitha, bringing in tea. She nodded in dismissal of the woman and sipped at the steaming beverage. 

“Try not to break his heart when you tell him no like the last girl. Hamilton really is a good guy, more or less. His heart just moves as fast as his brain does.” Martha advised. 

“The last girl?” Eliza couldn’t remember them talking about another girl. Martha hummed in confirmation.

“Her name was Catherine, I believe. Hamilton called her Kitty. Kitty was with Hamilton for two months before he proposed, he even introduced her to his boyfriend and everything. Kitty panicked and told him no. She then proceeded to drop him completely, and he hasn’t spoken to her since.” Martha looked sad for a moment, “The poor boy was heartbroken. That was when he stopped eating at every meal. He just needs a very large family to call his own.” 

“A very large family.” Eliza echoed.

“Not as in a lot of kids or a lot of siblings. I mean a non platonic family.” Martha placed the tea on the table in front of the small sofa the two ladies were sitting on, “You know, George and I offered to date him, but he turned us down. He said something about not being ready for a relationship, so George sent him to London so maybe the boy could meet a nice girl that could mend his broken heart. Then he met you.” Martha smiled at the girl warmly.

“He met Angelica.” Eliza responded, looking down at their hands.

“Angelica?” Martha was curious.

Eliza elaborated, “My sister. I think she gave him to me.” 

“You think he was meant to be with her?” Martha tried and Eliza thought about it for a second.

“No. I think he was meant to find her.” Eliza decided, “Then she was supposed to introduce him to me. I also think that you’re right about the large family. That’s what I want to.” 

“Are you willing to share him with your sister?” 

Eliza placed her cup next to Martha’s, “Yes, it think that Angelica needs to stop sacrificing herself for my sake. Which means, I need to take as many steps as it takes to get Angelica into our relationship as quickly as possible.” 

Martha laughed in delight and clasped her hands together, “I like it when you’re plotting.” She said mischievously, “You’re going to need to meet Laurens first, and win him over.” 

“I think I can do that.”

“What are you going to do when he proposes to you way too early?” Martha checked.

“I’m going to tell him yes.” Eliza decided. 

“And you know all of this just by today? My dear you also move way too fast.” The older woman commented. 

“I knew since I first laid eyes on him that he was who I wanted.” Eliza confided. 

“I just have one more question for you.”

“I’ll answer anything you ask.” Eliza smiled warmly.

“What about my husband and myself? When will you let us date you?” 

Eiza thought about it for a moment, “I think you’ll need to wait until after the wedding.” She decided.

“Oh alright, I suppose that’s fair.” Their conversation was interrupted by Hamilton bursting into the room, the President following after. 

“It’s not nearly time for lunch yet, what are you doing?” Martha rose up to greet them and Hamilton quickly went to take her place next to Eliza, sitting so close their thighs were touching.

“We’re not even close to finishing, Hamilton just wanted to be with Eliza.” George informed his wife. The married couple sat together on the longer couch adjacent to the loveseat. 

Hamilton huffed, “I feel empty when I’m away from her.” He grumbled. Eliza felt warm inside and almost hugged the other. 

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Martha inquired.

“...card games?” Hamilton suggested. 

“I can beat anyone at poker.” Eliza declared. George smirked.

“What a coincidence, I can also beat anyone at poker.” He told her. Eliza felt her buried 

competitive streak rise. The two locked eyes before Martha cleared her throat.

“Shall I have one of the slaves bring in a poker deck?” She asked, looking at the others.

“I’m in.” Hamilton announced. Eliza shared a grin with her boyfriend, and soon discovered that Hamilton had hidden talents at poker that could only be rivaled by Angelica. 

He won three of the games, Eliza won two and George won two. Eventually Martha won one and then decided to end the games so she could have the slaves bring out lunch. 

After lunch the four of them played scrabble, and Alexander Hamilton owned them. Eliza watched in awe as he did what no other person could do before. 

“Alexander.” she whispered, midway through a team game. He hummed in response, “How?” She wondered and he chuckled, not responding at all to her question. 

They left at sunset, and traded phone numbers with all present. Eliza and Martha embraced farewell and George shook the girl’s hand. The ride back was silent, broken only when Alex parked in the driveway to the Schuyler mansion.

“Eliza?” He looked almost nervous.

“Yeah?” 

“I won’t be able to see you for a couple of days, but I can call and text and whatnot. There’s this bill that I need to push through congress, and it’s being a real bitch.” He explained. She nodded.

“Alright.” She accepted. Hamilton looked like he wanted to add something but changed his mind, getting out of the car and moving to let her out. He walked her to the door but stopped before entering, eying the motorcycle.

“Angelica’s home.” He mumbled. 

“She is.” Eliza confirmed and Hamilton looked at her for a moment.

“I’m very good at moving way too fast at relationships, but I don’t want to wait a few days to do this so I’m just going to make it short.” He spoke quickly, and Eliza opened her mouth to ask her to explain when she was stopped by his mouth. On hers. Kissing her. And it was a beautiful first kiss that stopped way too quickly. 

“See you later Elizabeth Schuyler.” He murmured, his forehead on hers. 

“See you later Alexander Hamilton.” She whispered back, and he pecked her on the lips once more before heading back to his car. Eliza watching him until she could no longer see him before heading inside, making the quick decision not to tell Angelica anything that was decided today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you imagine Hamilton playing scrabble? He would get way too into it.


	6. The One with Hamilton's Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey remember how I said this was historically inaccurate? Like, I said it twice, anyway Hamilton actually did (probably) date this chick named Catherine or "Kitty" but like the relationship didn't go how it went in this fic

Eliza has anxiously awaited this meeting for the past three days. She and Alexander texted everyday, and everyday he had something to gripe about or to brag about or just to tell her. She looked forward to his good morning texts and she couldn’t sleep until his goodnight texts. He called her only once and that was so she could listen in on a cabinet meeting while he roasted John Adams. They also took this time to learn about each other other, from their favorite foods and colors to what they hoped to achieve. Eliza was thrilled with Hamilton’s ambition. 

When this day arrived the only good morning text Eliza received was Hamilton telling her that he would see her in fifteen minutes. Eliza hurried to pull on some skinny jeans and a tie dye shirt and she just finished brushing her hair when a knock sounded at her bedroom door. 

“It’s unlocked.” She called, and Peggy burst into the room. 

“There’s a cute guy talking to our father right now.” She informed Eliza. Eliza promptly dropped her hairbrush in the sink. She abandoned putting on her makeup and rushed down, hoping to get to Hamilton before her father said anything bad. Upon arriving she found Angelica at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Hamilton with an odd expression on her face. Eliza inwardly assured her sister that she would get her chance soon.

She watched anxiously as Hamilton and her father finished up their conversation and her father took a few steps towards Alexander. She brought a hand up to cover her eyes, not wanting to watch her father crush her chances at happiness, and watched what happened next through the gaps in her fingers.

Philip Schuyler shook Hamilton's hand and patted him on the shoulder, clearly pleased with the younger man. Eliza breathed a sigh of relief and knocked on the door. Both of the men looked at her and her father waved her in. Angelica and Peggy slipped in behind her.

Her father spoke first, “I'm looking forward to news of a wedding.” This was his way of telling her that he approved. Eliza dipped her head courteously.

Hamilton laughed and said, “Not yet. Some things have to happen first.” 

Their father nodded, not moving his hand from Hamilton's shoulder and said, “What are your plans for today?” Hamilton gave Eliza a sly wink and she thought quickly.

“We’re meeting one of Alexander's friends and then…” she trailed off and Hamilton picked up, “We’re going on a road trip. We’ll be gone for a couple of days, Eliza's coming with me to work.”

“Will my daughter meet George Washington?” Her father sounded proud, and Eliza bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. 

Hamilton held himself well, “She could, but George doesn't often visit the Treasury building.” 

“You call General Washington George.” Philip Schuyler sounded impressed and he continued with, “Do you also call John Adams by his first name?” Hamilton rolled his eyes.

“I call him many things.” He didn't bother trying to hide his distaste for the man.

“I'm a senator and even I can’t act this informal with the executive branch.” Her father shook his head and Hamilton laughed.

“It's different when you're in the executive branch.” He then turned to her, “Go ahead and pack up your things.” 

Philip pulled out a pocket watch and sighed, “I have an appointment to get to. Alexander, I hope to see you again.” With that he left, not saying a word to his daughters. There was silence before Hamilton looked at Eliza a little sheepishly.

“By the way, would you like to come to work with me?” He invited formally.

“She’ll think about it.” Angelica stepped forward. The two stared at each other for a moment before Hamilton took one stride forward and hugged the eldest Schuyler sister. Angelica laughed and returned the embrace.

“Alexander, I was surprised to see you.” She commented.

“I was surprised to be seen.” He confessed.

“How are you doing with Eliza?” Angelica checked. His eyes moved to the softer sister and he smiled.

“Very well.” He replied, his attention moving back to Angelica. The eldest sister did her best to ignore the pang of jealousy she felt at the softness that Alexander displayed to her sister. She'd never seen that before. She consciously reminded herself that she was doing this for Eliza.

“What friend are you introducing to my sister?” She began interrogating. 

“John Laurens, I fought with him in the war.” He answered. While they were talking Eliza disappeared to pack for the trip.

“Is he as clever as you?”

“He has common sense.”

“That's all that can be hoped for in these days.” 

Hamilton hummed in agreement and something behind Angelica caught his eye. His face lit up and Angelica turned and saw Eliza making her way down the stairs, stopping to hug Peggy. She didn't look at either of them and briefly Angelica wondered how Hamilton looked at her when she wasn't looking. 

After a moment Eliza walked into the room they were standing in and smiled at them.

“Are we ready to go?” She asked Hamilton.

“Whenever you are. I texted Laurens and he's expecting us in an hour.” He moved to grab her bag and Eliza gave Angelica a quick hug before quickly moving after Hamilton. Angelica watched them go longingly before taking out her phone. She decided she would go downtown and improvise her day. 

In the car Eliza and Alexander were playing word games, very content to be in each other's presence. Eventually Alexander reached a topic that he would not shut up about, not that Eliza would ever ask him to stop talking. For the last half hour of the ride Hamilton ranted about some bill that he didn't want passed.

They arrived at a house that was small and simple. Eliza could tell that Laurens must travel a lot. 

“I'm trying to convince him to move in with me.” Alexander muttered, getting out of the car. Eliza followed suit and Hamilton began walking up the path to the porch.

Without thinking Eliza asked, “when can I move in with you?” Both of them stopped moving and Eliza cringed internally.

“Move in with me.” Hamilton repeated, staring at her.

Eliza tried backtracking, “I mean, after we've known each other for a longer time. If we get married we’re going to need to live together. But that wasn't me asking when you're going to propose-” 

Alexander cut her off, “No I was inviting you. Right now. Move in with me.” Eliza was dumbfounded.

“Really?” She asked, sounding small.

Another voice joined in, “Really?” Eliza and Alex both looked at the door leading into the house and a man was staring at Alex with a mixture of emotions on his face, none of them happy.

“My love!” Alex cheered, moving to greet him with a kiss but Laurens turned his face last second so Alex kissed his cheek.

“Who is this?” He peered at Eliza.

“Elizabeth Schuyler.” She introduced.

“How long have you known Alex?” He glanced between the two newcomers.

“About four days.” Hamilton responded casually. Laurens groaned.

“Not again.” 

“She's not Kitty.” Alex wrapped his arms around John's waist.

“You just asked her to move in with you.” Laurens chastised.

“Technically I asked him for me to move in with him.” Eliza cut in awkwardly, not wanting Hamilton to get into trouble.

“Aren't you moving a little fast?” Laurens addressed her, knowing that it was useless to try to talk to Alexander about this.

“Sure.” Eliza replied in agreement.

“But you're still going to move forward.” It wasn't a question but Eliza answered him anyway.

“Yes.” 

Hamilton piped up, “While you two get acquainted I need to use the restroom.” He gave Laurens a kiss on the tip of his nose and disappeared inside. An awkward silence followed. 

“He mentioned that he wanted you to move in with him.” Eliza blurted out. 

“And instead you're moving in with him.” Laurens replied.

“We could both do it. I mean, our schedules must be different, but that only means that Alexander won't be lonely.” Eliza made up her mind to convince Laurens to move in with Alexander with her. 

“He's not lonely now.” He responded stubbornly.

“He was lonely enough to find some girl sobbing into her drink in a dusty bar on a Thursday night and take her home.” Eliza's voice softened and she cast her eyes down, looking at his shoes instead of his face. He was wearing socks, not shoes. 

“Why were you sobbing into your drink in a dusty bar on a Thursday night?” He sounded concerned.

“I was dumped.”

“Was it bad?” 

“I was sobbing into my drink in a dusty bar on a Thursday night and allowed myself to be taken home by a strange man who was very good with his words.” She looked back into his eyes and he looked sympathetic. He opened his arms as an invitation for a hug and Eliza took the offer. 

He whispered, “Your luck with people is as bad as Alex’s.” She laughed, even though it was hardly funny.

“We go well together.” She responded quietly.

“I think you do.” With that they pulled apart, and Eliza didn't realize that she started to cry until Laurens rubbed a tear away with his thumb.

“I'm sorry. I thought I was over it.” Eliza apologized.

Laurens smiled at her warmly, and she idly noticed that he was startlingly attractive, “I think you are over it.”

Alexander took that moment to reappear. He wrapped an arm around John's waist in a half hug.

“So?” He looked at his boyfriend.

Laurens paused then said, “I like her.” Alex cheered then suggested, “Let's go out to eat to celebrate.” 

“Also,” Laurens stopped him from leaving.

“Also?” 

“I'm also moving in with you.” Eliza grinned and she and Laurens high fived. Hamilton was rendered speechless, an accomplishment in itself.

After a moment he grinned and captured his boyfriend's mouth with his own, “All the more reason to celebrate. I'll pay.”

“Actually,” Eliza interrupted, “I'll pay.” Her boys looked at her in shock.

“Are you sure?” Hamilton sounded unsure.

“I'm rich. I will use father's money while I still have it.” Eliza smiled and Hamilton moved from hugging Laurens to hug her. 

“Then let's go.” He seemed to remember something because he turned and asked his boyfriend, “Are you coming with me to work as well?” 

“No. I have some things to do before I move in with you.” Laurens replied.

“But you’ll come to,” Hamilton checked his phone, “Lunch with us?” He finished.

“I told you I would.” Laurens was almost as quick witted when talking to Alexander as Angelica is. Eliza took out her own phone, noticing how it was about noon. The two men were walking back to the car with their arms around one another and Eliza was glad to notice that she didn’t feel jealous in the slightest. That was a good sign. 

She got into the back of the car and her boys got into the front, Alexander letting Laurens drive. Meanwhile they were talking about something that she didn’t really get.

“Oh, did you hear that Burr got married?” Laurens took his eyes off the road for a second to ask Alex that. Hamilton looked surprised.

“Really? I thought he was with that girl that was married to a British officer.” Hamilton rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 

“Well I guess he broke them up. When did you last see him?” 

Hamilton thought about it for a moment, “During the war I think. At your duel.” Eliza perked up at hearing that.

“You were in a duel?” She leaned forward and looked at Laurens. Hamilton gently ran a finger along her cheek. Laurens laughed.

“Yeah, this general was talking smack on Washington so Hamilton and I wanted to teach him a lesson. Lafayette also encouraged it, so Washington didn’t get too upset.” Laurens explained. 

“Oh I forget that Washington and Laf had a thing.” Hamilton said absently.

“It wa a big thing.” 

They pulled into a restaurant and got out of the car, continuing to talk the entire time.

“Laf was closer to Washington than I think everyone else.” Laurens commented.

“I don’t know, I was pretty close to him.” Hamilton weaved his fingers through Eliza’s. Laurens opened the door for them and Eliza was hit by a blast a cool air and the muffled sound of many conversations.

“You two never napped under a tree together under Washington’s coat.” Hamilton laughed at that memory.

“I won’t be surprised if he names his firstborn child after Washington.”  He joked. Eliza smiled, curious to finally meet Lafayette. 

They were seated at a booth, with Laurens and Hamilton on one side and Eliza on the other, and had apparently finished that conversation topic because they were suddenly talking about something that James Madison had done. From what Eliza could tell Hamilton was close to the southerner. Or, at least he was friends with him. She wanted to ask just to make sure.

“Alexander,” She interrupted whatever they were talking about and both men looked at her, “Are you dating anyone else that I should know about?” 

“I’m curious about that too.” Laurens agreed. Hamilton thought about it for a moment.

“Does Angelica count?” He wondered.

“Angelica?” Laurens frowned.

“My sister, and no she doesn’t.” Eliza responded, mentally adding the words not yet.

“Then no, you two are the only two people I’m seeing.” Hamilton answered, and Eliza motioned for them to continue their conversation. She stopped listened intently and focused really on just looking at them. 

Alexander was much more open about his affections with Laurens but she could tell that they both shared a very deep bond. She could tell that she wouldn’t feel this way about Laurens, but at the same time she knew she wouldn’t mind Alexander loving him. 

She’s never had a best guy friend before, and she was hoping that Laurens would fill this spot. They could bond over how beautiful Hamilton is. Hamilton could join them in bonding over how beautiful Hamilton is. When that thought crossed her mind she laughed and that caught the two men’s attention once more.

“What’s so funny?” Hamilton asked, his mouth curving up into a smile.

Eliza only responded with, “I just love you is all.” Hamilton laughed.

“Well I love you too.” 

“You’re already saying I love you?” Laurens looked mildly amused.

“I love you has a very different meaning than I’m in love with you.” Eliza responded and Hamilton nodded in agreement. After thinking it over Laurens agreed as well, and they went back to talking about some British Loyalist named Samuel and how Alexander apparently roasted him. 

Eliza sat back in her seat and wondered briefly when the food would get to the table, but she found that she didn’t mind the wait. The company was very pleasant.


	7. The One where Angelica stops sacrificing herself

Alexander kissed Laurens goodbye and Eliza gave him an almost awkward hug. It wasn't awkward because they didn't like each other; it was awkward because Alex was right there grinning at them victoriously. Eliza then took Laurens’ spot in the front seat and watched as Hamilton spoke with his boyfriend for a few more minutes. She liked seeing them together quite a bit.

Once Hamilton got in the car she smiled at him a little mischievously. He didn't question the look until they were well on their way to the Treasury building. 

He sighed, “Alright, what?”

Eliza giggled, “You like like him.” She pointed out childishly. Alexander laughed and went with it.

He pouted playfully, “Do not. He has cooties.” 

“You have cooties now too. I totally saw you kiss him. On the mouth.” She emphasized that last part and he dropped the act.

First he laughed then turned serious, “You’re okay with this? With everything that's happening?” 

“I am.” She confirmed.

“I mean, you're moving into your boyfriend's house at the same time that his boyfriend is moving in. It doesn't feel weird at all?” He glanced at her for a moment and she went quiet, thinking it over.

“Does it feel weird to you?” She asked hesitantly.

“No, but I'm all about rushing things. I don't wait and I don't take my time. I see what I want and I take it.” He told her, then continued with, “I'm just worried that you're not the same.”

“I'm not the same,” She informed, “But I'm ready for this, and you and Laurens are seriously the cutest couple ever.” 

“Well good, because I don't intend to turn back now. With your consent we can take this far.”

“Are there any people that are off-limits?” She wondered. Alex drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he turned into the Treasury building parking lot. 

“I don't want to limit you in any way.” He decided.

“Okay but is there anyone who would make you uncomfortable if you came home and found me in bed with?” She rephrased.

“John Adams.” He was quick with that one.

“Then the vice-president is off-limits.”

Alexander paused as he turned off his car then turned to her, “Is there anyone who you don't want me to see?” 

Eliza considered it, “The only thing that would make uncomfortable is if I found you with my father.” Alex scrunched up his nose.

“I can live with that.” He told her as he got out of his car. Eliza followed suit and they walked side by side into the building. 

Alex led her into his office, nodding briefly to workers as he passed them. Once inside he moved to his desk and sat down in the leather chair. He winked at her then spun once before rolling it up to her. She had allowed her eyes to wander around the office so she was a little surprised to find hands at her waist. 

“Are you going to pull me into your lap?” She asked after a minute of him just looking at her. He considered his options before doing just that. She adjusted herself so she wasn't straddling him and instead was sitting quite comfortably with her legs over the side of the chair. Her arms snaked their way around his neck and he rolled them back to his desk. 

“I think office sex should come after several months of being together.” He announced and she agreed.

“Bedroom sex must come first. After several weeks.”

“Several weeks?” Alex sounded almost hurt.

“I'm moving in with you, let's enjoy this for a bit.” 

“Okay but I'm holding you to that.” He told her seriously, then pulled out his computer, “So I can only show you some of this stuff, because a lot of it is classified to the public until approved by George.” 

She listened and watched as he worked on designing a financial system that would last decades. He worked until way past sundown, and even then didn't stop until Eliza's stomach growled. She had begun to doze off, quite content where she was and honestly her hunger didn't bother her.

Hamilton sighed, turned off his computer, and stood up, easily lifting her bridal style and she smiled and attempted to snuggle closer to him. He didn't say anything as they left, only once telling someone goodbye, and he didn't put her down until they reached the car. 

Eliza sighed and placed her feet on the ground, climbed into the car, and watched as Hamilton got into the driver's side. The ride to her house was also silent, save for Hamilton muttering to himself as he worked through his idea. Eliza liked hearing him talk. She began to doze off again, noticing vaguely that the clock in the car told that it was almost midnight.

Alex sent a text to Laurens, telling him that he was safe at Eliza's house, before getting out of the car and helping her out too, picking her up bridal style. Laurens liked to worry about him, and for good reason. Alex was not afraid to die.

“Eliza, are you awake?” He whispered and she mumbled something that he didn't quite make out. Something about Angelica. 

Speaking of Angelica, she was the only one waiting up when Alexander brought Eliza in. She silently followed as he went to Eliza's room and placed her in her bed, then he turned walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He looked at Angelica sheepishly.

“We kinda skipped dinner.” He confessed. Angelica raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, “but we’ll get a big breakfast.” He added hastily.

“You better, if you make her pick up your poor eating habits then I'm cutting you two off.” Angelica threatens and he raised his hands in submission. 

She then sighed and offered, “Well it's too late for my sister, but I can fix you something to eat.” He nodded

“That would be much appreciated.” He told her. As they were walking back down the stairs Angelica noticed out of the corner of her eye Alexander tripped a little. He then righted himself and pretended that that never happened.

In the kitchen Angelica reheated him some leftover pizza that Peggy brought home. He ate how he worked, very quickly.  Angelica watched him in silence.

When he was done he cleared his throat and asked, “Does Eliza know how to cook?”

“Why?” Angelica became immediately suspicious.

“She's moving in with me tomorrow. I would like to know if Laurens will be the only one cooking.” He explained.

“Who's Laurens?” Angelica frowned, not liking where this was going.

“My boyfriend.” Alexander clarified.

“You’re cheating on both my sister and this Laurens guy?” She was shocked, and to think she thought he was a nice guy.

Alexander looked hurt, “I would never. They met today and they love each other. Well, platonically I think. Laurens isn't as straight as I am.”

It took Angelica only a moment to process this, “So you're like my sister.” She deemed.

“Yes.” He confirmed. The two locked eyes for a second and Angelica began to allow herself to hope once more. 

“Eliza has never needed to learn how to cook, but she can do the basics. She would be able to learn very quickly if Laurens would be willing to teach her.” Angelica finally answered his question, then moved on a little hesitantly, “I do know how to cook, though. I learned while in London.” 

As Hamilton processed this they heard a muffled thud behind the door of the kitchen. 

“Who’s listening in?” Angelica called. She was moderately surprised to see Eliza come in.

“I got hungry.” She told them. Angelica quickly went about making her sister a proper dinner. She would make her pasta and salad. Eliza needed only the best. Angelica noticed her sister move to sit comfortably on Alexander's lap while she worked. The latter hadn't spoken since Angelica gave the offhanded offer.

“You know,” Eliza was speaking to her boyfriend, “Angelica is probably a better fit for you than I am.” Both Alexander and Angelica looked at Eliza in shock. 

“You're trying to hook me up with your sister.” Hamilton said.

At the same time Angelica said, “Eliza you are the best girlfriend in the world, you keep Hamilton to yourself.” 

Eliza answered both of them, “Angelica stop sacrificing yourself for me. We can both be happy with this. Alex I know you wanted to wait until John and I were settled down at your house to add anyone in the close relationship, but Angelica is an exception.” She persuaded. The water on the stove began to boil and Angelica set about beginning the sauce. No one spoke until Eliza's food was completely finished cooking and it was set in front of her. 

“I wouldn't say no, if Hamilton agreed.” Angelica said quietly.

“Alex?” Eliza turned to look at him and found him staring at her plate in thought. He slowly looked up and locked eyes with each of the sisters in turned.

“I can't find a reason to say no.” He said eventually.

“Then does this mean you're saying yes?” Eliza looked hopeful, and Alex found the last of his resistance fading away.

“Only if Angelica moves in as well.” He responded.

“I can do that, but you'll need to get my father's approval.” Angelica told him, and Alex cringed.

“He was fine with me taking Eliza, but I doubt he would be fine with me taking Angelica as well.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, “Unless…”

Angelica was following his thought process, “Unless you get someone with more power than you to vouch for you. Maybe the most powerful man in the country.”

Eliza caught on fairly quickly, “Will he agree to vouch for you?” Alex snorted.

“Yeah. On that note, I'm gonna go home. I'll see you ladies tomorrow.” Eliza stood up so Hamilton could leave and he kissed her on her temple. He and Angelica locked eyes for a moment before he grinned and bent down to kiss her hand. Angelica smiled in approval, and he waved once more to Eliza before leaving.

That night both ladies dreamt of Hamilton.

The following morning Eliza woke up fairly late, which didn't surprise her. What did surprise her was Martha Washington laying on the bed next to her, with her hand propping her head up on her pillow. The older lady smiled with delight when she noticed that Eliza had woken up.

“Good morning lovely 'liza.” She greeted. It took Eliza a moment to process this. Once she did she sat up quickly in the bed.

“Miss Washington! What are you doing here?” 

“Hamilton wanted our help to get you and your sister the proper approval. It wasn't easy but I don't think there's anyone willing to tell George ‘no’.” Martha explained.

“So it's all finished? How did he do it?”

Martha sat up and answered, “Well at first your father was against it. I mean Hamilton isn't exactly the most wealthy person. However, power and connections matter more than money anyway. With that all George did was convince your father that the only better person for your sister and yourself than Hamilton is himself.”

“And what now?” Eliza got out of the bed and searched for something to wear.

“We're moving yours and Angelica's stuff to Hamilton's place. Angelica first.” There was a pause as Eliza decided on a dress to wear. When she went to the dressing room to get changed Martha spoke up.

“Don't be shy. You can undress in front of me.” She teased. Eliza blushed and went into the dressing room anyway.

When she returned she was delighted to see that Laurens had joined Martha in sitting on Eliza’s bed. 

“John!” Eliza called and the man looked at her with a soft smile. Eliza rushed forward and embraced him as one would a beloved friend.

“I vote we take your bed.” He told her when they pulled apart. 

“My bed?” 

“Well we can't use Alexander's. Your bed is large enough to comfortably fit four people, it's up to four now by the way, and it is way more comfortable than both mine and Angelica's.” He persuaded.

“I agree.” Alex spoke up from the door, where he had apparently been since Eliza came out of the dressing room.

Eliza stood up and walked over to him. He gave her a half-hug with one arm,

“We’re almost finished with Angelica. We should be done with you by two.”

“By two?” Eliza was shocked, how late did she sleep in?

“Well, it's half past noon now anyway.” Martha piped up. 

“Well, okay. Who's moving the large stuff?” She wondered.

“Some men who Washington paid.” Hamilton told her. 

“That was nice of him.” Eliza commented, and Alex turned around to go back downstairs. The other three people in the room followed behind him and all three watched with growing amusement as he stumbled down the steps. 

“Should we-” Eliza began but Laurens shook his head.

“We don't need to talk about it.” He told her. Once Alex reached the bottom he looked back at them. Angelica joined him and Alex stepped out of the way for Martha to go join her husband.

When it was just the four of them Alex asked, “So what's for lunch?”


	8. The One with Her Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love 3 month timeskips with a vague description! Enjoy!

For the following three months they lived together comfortably in Hamilton's small house. Their schedules ended up being vastly different, but there was always at least one person home at a time. For the most part the dates revolved around Hamilton, but there were days when he didn't come home from work until midnight. 

Sometimes Eliza would go on a date with some pretty girl that she'd met at the park or something, and Alex would text her encouragements if she got nervous.

It wasn't until November when they were all home at the same time. It had begun to snow so Alex went home early. Upon arriving he found Eliza and Angelica curled together on the couch, watching some cheesy romantic movie.

“Why doesn't she just date both?” Eliza was asking. 

“Because she's a dumb girl who's letting men rule her thoughts.” Angelica answered bitterly.

“What are you watching?” Alex leaned on the doorway.

“Alex!” Eliza wiggled free of the thick blankets and rushed to hug him. Angelica followed slowly, she paused a moment before joining them in their hug, not because she was happy to see him, she saw him this morning, but because she was cold.

“Hey why don't we build a pillow fort?” He suggested. 

“A pillow fort?” Eliza repeated.

“A pillow fort? Alex how old are you?” Laurens had walked into the living room and was watching the three still locked in a hug with an amused expression on his face.

“I'm an adult.” Alex scowled and detangled himself from his girls. He walked over to Laurens and brought him in for a kiss a little indecent for Eliza and Angelica to watch. Eliza had to look away when Laurens let out a small moan. They broke apart only to breathe and Alex rested his forehead on Laurens’. The two locked eyes for a minute and even innocent Eliza could feel the sexual tension.

“So what's a pillow fort?” Eliza wondered. Alex broke eye contact with Laurens to stare at Eliza.

“You've never built a pillow fort?” He sounded almost in awe. 

“No, neither has Angelica.” Eliza defended herself. Alex didn't look away from Eliza. 

“Okay go get all of the pillows from our room and bring them here.” He eventually ordered.

“Can Angelica come with?” For some reason she felt like she was in trouble. “No. Just you.” He waited until she was safely away before very quickly pulling Laurens to Angelica so he could whisper.

“Okay, can you two keep a secret?” He asked them.

“From Eliza?” Angelica didn't look amused.

“Yes.” He confirmed.

Angelica sighed, “Alexander, we've been through this, I will not hide anything, not even surprise parties, from-”

He cut her off, “I'm proposing to her.” That caused Angelica to go silent. 

“When?” Laurens asked.

“Tomorrow. I'll tell you the details later.” They separated as Eliza came in, her arms full of pillows.

“There's still more.” She told them.

“I'll help.” Laurens went with her this time.

“You're choosing her to marry?” Angelica asked Alexander.

“Yes, I've fallen so in love with her that any day we spend apart hurts me. If I work late I need to see a picture of her or I won't be able to concentrate.” He confessed. Angelica smiled.

“I better be the maid-of-honor.” She pointed a finger at him and he held his hands up in surrender.

“If Eliza doesn't make you her maid-of-honor then I'll make you my best man.” He joked. Angelica nodded, momentarily satisfied.

Laurens and Eliza returned with the rest of the pillows. That night they slept in the living room with the TV playing that same cheesy romantic movie. Angelica slept curled up next to Eliza, who slept next to Hamilton, who was wedged between Eliza and Laurens. Everyone but Eliza eager to the next day when Hamilton proposed.

Upon waking up the following morning, the first thing that Eliza noticed was that she and Hamilton were alone. Her boyfriend was lying next to her typing something on his phone. She allowed her eyes to wander and noticed that he wasn't wearing pants. Feeling a blush creep up her neck, she struggled to keep her breathing even.

Despite her and Alex's deal several months ago they haven't actually had sex yet. She accidentally walked in on Alex and Laurens, but they didn't notice her there and she left before she saw much more than their… parts. And even then Laurens was sucking Alexander's...you know... so his was kind of hidden.

Still the memory of her Hamilton with his head thrown slightly back, his eyes closed, his mouth open, and his cheeks flushed has stuck in her head, only resurfacing during times like this that caught her off guard. She sometimes wondered how it felt to have his hands gripping Laurens’ hair, if he would pull or just rest his hand there. 

She made up her mind to talk to him to try to get that mental image to go away, “Alexander.” She greeted. He moved his eyes from his phone to her face and smiled brightly.

“Good morning Eliza!” He greeted cheerfully, “If you're up we can get started on today. I have a whole day full of events, just the two of us.” 

“Where are your pants?” She decided to address that first. 

He glanced down innocently before answering, “I got hot so I took them off.” 

“You're touching me still.” She pointed out, attempting to get him to see the problem.

He rolled his eyes, “It's easier for me to take off my pants then for me scoot away from you. I'm still wearing my underwear, what's wrong?” he looked confused, which made Eliza confused. The man is a genius, surely he knows what has her awkward.

“The amount of clothing separating us is very thin.” She informed. 

He laughed, “Eliza you're acting like a blushing virgin!” He teased. She blushed and glanced away and he quickly sobered up with the realization, “Eliza?” He checked.

“Alright, yes I'm a virgin, but it's different for ladies than for men. If a man lies with a woman he's a stud, if a woman lies with a man she's expected to marry him.” She nearly scolded him, it was common knowledge after all.

“Okay, then we just have to have sex. Not today, though, because we don't have anymore time.” He crawled out of the fort, “Now come on, get dressed, plenty of places to be.”

“Isn't it cold outside?” She frowned at him, following behind. He shrugged.

“It's chilly, but not as cold as it could be. It doesn't matter anyway we won't be outside for that long.” He glanced back at the fort before adding, “don't worry about cleaning up, Laurens and Angelica will take care of it.” He quickly moved to go put on pants and Eliza went to the ladies’ room to find something for herself to wear.

She had no idea what Alex was planning, but something told her that she should wear a dress. She settled on a simple long blue dress with long sleeves. She decided to wear flats instead of heels, choosing comfort over style.

Angelica came in while she was getting dressed and leaned on the doorway with her arms crossed. She was wearing blue jeans and a yellow shirt. It occurred to Eliza how similar her sister was to Alex. 

“Come sit on the couch, I'll braid your hair.” Angelica requested. Eliza grinned, always happy whenever her sister offered to braid her hair. She grabbed her brush and followed after Angelica. 

Upon arriving in the living room Eliza noticed that the pillow fort was already gone. Alexander was standing in the hall with Laurens, humming a song while he swayed back and forth, his hands on his boyfriend's hips. Laurens had his arms wrapped around Alexander's neck, a small smile on his lips.

Eliza sat on the sofa and closed her eyes while Angelica expertly braided her long hair. It took only five minutes but when she opened her eyes Alexander was crouching in front of her. His eyes were watching Angelica's hands in her hair. Laurens was standing next to Angelica, holding a strand of hair in place while she pinned it down. When he noticed she had opened her eyes he smiled at her.

“When you're done we’ll go. Our earliest reservation is in four hours. This give us enough time to hit up the museum.” He told her, patting his thighs and standing up. 

“All finished!” Angelica took a step back to admire her work. Eliza turned to look at Laurens.

“Does it look alright?” She checked.

Alexander spoke up, “You look beautiful, now let's go.” 

Eliza held her hand up to him, not turning away from Laurens, “No I'm asking him. It's your job to say that. Laurens isn't obligated to lie.” 

Laurens gave his boyish smile that Hamilton loved and said, “Angelica did a good job.”

Eliza nodded, satisfied, then turned to her boyfriend, “Okay, now we can go.” 

Alexander knew how to keep her busy. They went to two museums, lunch at a classy restaurant, and to a movie Eliza had been dying to see. It was evening by the time that Alexander looked nearly finished.

“Okay, one more thing to do.” He promised. He took her to the tavern where they had first met. No one else was there, besides the bartender. The place was illuminated only by Eliza's favorite candle, and she felt very warm inside. She sat in the same stool that she had on that first night. When Alexander didn't sit next to her she looked around, and was shocked to see him kneeling in front of her. 

“Alex-” She began.

He cut her off, “Eliza, let me speak first. I love you. I'm in love with you. I love everything about you, your innocence, your smile, your kindness. You support me greater than anyone else. I tried to think about your negative qualities but there are none. I want to keep you around me for the rest of my life, in an unbreakable bond. Even if I lost everyone else, if I had you, I would be satisfied. So please,” he reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple ring and Eliza felt tears begin to stream down her face.

“Yes.” She interrupted.

“You didn't let me finish.” He complained and she laughed.

“Sorry, finish.” She nodded for him to continue.

“Will you ma-”

She cut him off again, “Yes.” 

He groaned, “Eliza.” 

“Okay okay, from the top. I won't interrupt.” 

“Will you marry me?” He spoke quickly so she couldn't interrupt.

“Yes.” She repeated, holding out her hand so he could place the ring on her finger. He stood up and gave her a quick kiss. 

She gave him a watery smile and pulled him in for another kiss. If there was one thing that Alexander Hamilton was good at, it was kissing. Eliza wasn't inexperienced with it but she clearly wasn't as experienced as Alex. His kisses left his partners breathless in the best ways. 

Pulling apart once more the couple just gazed into each other's eyes. After what felt like a century, the bartender cleared his throat. Alexander turned to look at him and snapped his fingers.

“Oh yeah, we should eat.” He moved to go sit at an actual table but when he looked back to see if Eliza was following him he noticed that she was staring at the ring. It was actually a lot more intricate than she had thought. It had small carvings in it that was fitted with sapphire. 

The band was also real gold, which surprised her. Hamilton was not rich. All in all she was in love with the ring. 

“Where did you get this?” She eventually whispered.

“It was my mother's. The only thing she left for me when she died.” He told her. 

“I love it.” Her eyes sparkled and Hamilton had to walk back and give her another kiss. 

“I'm glad. My mother would have loved you.” He grabbed her hands and gently pulled her back to their table. The food was already there, exactly what Eliza had told him was her favorite all those months ago. 

They stayed there for two hours, just appreciating being with the other. 

When they got home Angelica was waiting outside. She strided over to her sister and grabbed her hand, admiring the ring. Laurens walked outside when he noticed that they were home and casually leaned on Hamilton's shoulder. 

“Did you cry?” Was the only thing Angelica asked. Eliza raised her eyebrows.

“You knew?” She demanded.

Laurens spoke up, “We both knew.”

“I told them last night while you were getting the pillows.” Hamilton informed his fiance. 

“I thought I was being punished!” Eliza exclaimed. 

Hamilton looked aghast, “Why would I ever punish you? If anyone of us ever does anything bad it would be Angelica because someone did something dumb and she made them cry.”

Angelica agreed, “I do enjoy making dumb people cry.” 

Suddenly Eliza felt a chill crawl up her spine and she remembered that it's cold out. Alex had already given her his jacket but she didn't want anyone else cold.

Alex noticed her uncomfortable look and suggested, “Let's go inside.” 

Laurens put his hand on Alex's shoulder, “There's a surprise waiting for you inside.” Hamilton paused and looked at his boyfriend.

“A surprise?” He questioned.

Angelica grinned, “Eliza I think you'll be fond of this surprise.” 

Laurens added, “Apparently you told him last week that this week you were planning on proposing.” 

Hamilton looked confused for a moment before his face lit up in delight and he dashed inside.

“Who's here?” Eliza asked, following after at a walking place. 

They walked in and saw Alex standing in the living room hugging a man Eliza had never seen before very tightly.

“America's favorite fighting Frenchman.” Laurens grinned at the inside reference.

Hamilton quickly released the stranger and turned to Eliza.

“Eliza come here! You have to meet Lafayette!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eliza's innocence gives me hope that's there's good in this world


	9. The One with the French

Despite the late hour Hamilton, Laurens, and Lafayette were still reminiscing about the war. Eliza didn’t say much other than the shy hello. Angelica was right, she was in love. How to tell Lafayette that he was dating her now… she didn’t know. She made up her mind to not discuss this one with her fiance. If he gave her this one she’d give him a free one. It’s just everytime he spoke her heart beat a little bit harder.

Currently they were joking about when Washington wouldn’t let Hamilton fight, so Lafayette and Laurens pestered him for a good three weeks non-stop. Hamilton was laughing about something Laurens said when his eyes wandered over to Eliza and he sobered up quickly.

“My love, are you okay?” He looked concerned. Eliza didn’t take her eyes away from the Frenchman. The others all felt the mood and were staring at Eliza with expressions that mimicked Hamilton’s.

“Alexander.” She spoke after a few minutes. He stood up and walked over so he could grab her hands.

“Is everything alright?” He checked, looking into her eyes.

She flickered her gaze to her fiance and whispered, “Dibs.”

He looked taken aback, “Come again?” Eliza pushed past him and went to stand in front of Lafayette. He looked almost weary.

She pointed a finger almost accusingly, “You’re my boyfriend now.” She declared. Hamilton moved to stand by her side.

“Isn’t that something you ask, not command?” He placed his hands on her shoulders.

“No. I’m not asking. I’m commanding.” She glared at Hamilton and he looked at Lafayette in defeat.

The Frenchman grinned, “I can’t say no to that.” Eliza looked at Angelica triumphantly, and the latter just rolled her eyes. She then thought of something and moved to sit next to Lafayette.

Angelica cleared her throat, “Sorry to change the subject but there’s something that I need to know.”  

“From Laf?” Hamilton sat down on the floor in front of Angelica and pulled Eliza down into his lap. Laurens sat next to him in front of Lafayette and rested his head on Hamilton’s shoulder.

“From Laf.” Angelica confirmed then turned to look at him, “While you were in France, did you meet Thomas Jefferson?”

“I slept with Thomas Jefferson.” Lafayette informed. Hamilton wrinkled his nose.

“Thanks for over sharing buddy.” Laurens sighed.

“What type of person is he?” Angelica inquired.

“Why?”

Eliza spoke up, “Well, father was telling us that when he came home he would be writing up the final draft for our Declaration. Angelica would like him to give women the same freedom as men.”

“Oh, I forgot about that.” Hamilton placed his chin on the top of Eliza’s head.

Lafayette considered the question before informing, “With persuasion he would write women in.”

“Do you have any pictures of him? I’ve never seen him and I feel that I should.” Hamilton checked. Lafayette reached into his his pocket and pulled out his phone. He took only a moment to pull up a picture of him standing next to who they could only assume was Thomas Jefferson.

“He’s not bad to look at, oui? If he would pull his hair back into maybe a bun I think that it would make his face look much nicer.” Lafayette told them as he passed the picture around.

“I can see why you slept with him.” Hamilton decided.

Lafayette clicked his tongue, “You wouldn’t like him. He's very wealthy and he enjoys flaunting it. He also owns a plethora of slaves.”

“You’re right I don’t like him.” Hamilton judged. Laurens just looked shocked.

“Yet you liked him well enough to sleep with him?” He looked as judgmental as Hamilton sounded. Eliza couldn’t tell which of them was more anti-slavery.

Lafayette shrugged, “He’s hot. I don’t have to like his personality to have sex with him.”

“That’s true, I would have sex with Hamilton.” Angelica spoke up.

“Excuse you my personality is _great_.” Hamilton looked offended.

“Sure sweetie.” Angelica nodded and patted his head gently.

“I’m a ray of sunshine!” Hamilton protested. Listening to her fiance’s narcissism reminded Eliza of something he mentioned about three months ago.

“Wait, is Lafayette team Hamilton or team Jefferson?” She was curious.

“Anyone dating us is team Hamilton.” Alexander was adamant about this.

“I wanted to be team Jefferson…” Lafayette frowned and Hamilton swatted at his knee. With this current conversation ending Eliza felt the day’s fatigue beginning to settle in. They had wandered all over town and she had gotten proposed to. That takes a lot out of a girl. There was just one problem to be settled before they went to sleep.

Anglica beat her to it, “Where’s everyone sleeping? There’s not enough room on our bed for the five of us.”

“I want the bed.” Laurens decided. Anglica agreed.

“Lafayette should experience the bed as well.” Hamilton’s grip around Eliza tightened a

little, “So you three will share the bed and Eliza and I will share the couch.”  

“Is my old bed really that special?” Eliza thought this to be a little ridiculous.

“Yes.” Hamilton and Laurens chorused, then high-fived for it. Angelica rose to her feet then reached out a hand to Lafayette. The Frenchman took it and once he was standing he held out a hand to Laurens.

“Good night.” Angelica nodded to her sister and boyfriend and led the way to the bedroom.

“Night guys.” Laurens offered a little wave.

“Bonne nuit.” Lafayette winked at them. Once those three had departed Eliza moved from

Hamilton to the couch. He didn’t join her and instead opted to stare for a moment.

She ignored him and fetched a throw pillow and and large blanket from the closet. The couch was narrow but if they pressed together they would fit. Angelica once slept with Hamilton on the couch like that, and neither of them fell off. He later told Eliza that she preferred it to the bed, only because they were much closer that way.

When she finished she paused and looked at Hamilton, still on the floor.

“How tired are you?” He checked.

Eliza considered it, “I’m very tired.”

“So no sex?” He asked bluntly. Eliza felt a blush creep up her neck.

“Not tonight.”

Alexander shrugged, “Alright.” He climbed to his feet and laid against the back of the couch. Eliza laid down next to him and he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She opted to use his shoulder instead of the pillow, and she fell asleep within moments, more tired than she originally thought. Alexander eventually fell asleep.

They were awoken by someone knocking on the door. Lafayette was already awake, him being an earlier riser than the others. Alexander woke up as Lafayette answered the door. The president was on the other side, sans Martha.

Lafayette and George stared at each other for a moment. Neither one said anything and Alexander remembered that they had a thing back during the war. He managed to get around Eliza without waking her up and joined them at the door.

He whispered to Lafayette, “Are you going to invite him in or stare at him?”

Lafayette responded, “Stare.” Alexander patted his friend on the shoulder and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

He called, “Come on in, sir.” Washington squeezed past his old lover and joined the secretary as he was getting coffee.

“Why is Lafayette back?” Washington questioned, “If Martha sees him she won’t want him to leave again.”

“Because Eliza and I are getting married.” Alexander informed his boss casually. Washington looked surprised before he gave one of his rare grins.

“She told you yes?” He checked.

“She told me yes.” Hamilton returned the president’s grin then asked, “Do you want some coffee?” Washington shook his head.

“No, I was just stopped by on my way to the airport.”

Hamilton lowered the coffee cup away from his lips, “Why are you going to the airport? Is Jefferson coming home?”

“Not for a long time.” Washington told him, “No, John Adams is flying to London. I was taking him there and I saw that you were home.”

“Is he out in the car?” Hamilton asked as Lafayette joined them in the kitchen.

“He is.” Washington confirmed, eyeing the Frenchman carefully. Alexander remembered that he and Martha pleaded with Lafayette not to go the France. George had told him that if he left he was no longer with the Washingtons. It seems unreasonable but they knew that there was a chance the revolution in France would kill their favorite Frenchman.

“He can stay out there.” Hamilton broke the awkward silence by voicing his opinion.

“I don’t want him to get sick.” Washington looked amused, momentarily forgetting about Lafayette.

“I do.” Hamilton sipped at his hot coffee.

“If he’s sick they won’t let him leave the country.” Lafayette smirked and Hamilton nearly choked on his drink.

“For god’s sake go, George, go!” He began ushering the president out of the house and Washington planted his feet and refused to budge. Alexander Hamilton was not strong enough to push George Washington if the latter did not wish to move.

“I think I’ll take that coffee actually.” The president joked and Hamilton groaned. The noise woke up Laurens who watched his boyfriend struggle with an amused by tired expression on his face.

“Laurens don’t just stand there, help!” He pleaded.

“Why are you pushing your boss out of your house?” Laurens didn’t move to help him.

“To get John Adams out of the country!” Hamilton tried pressing his shoulder against the president and pushing, and Washington watched this with an amused expression.

“Sure that make sense.” Laurens sassed, but moved to help Alexander. Washing gave in and allowed himself to be pushed out.

“Who’s going to tell Martha about the engagement?” Washington checked as he stood on the porch. John Adams honked the car horn, not wanting to look at Hamilton for any amount of time that he didn’t need to. Hamilton childishly stuck out his tongue.

“I will when I go to see her.” Lafayette voiced. George frowned and nodded.

“Then you’re staying?” He tried.

“Oui.” Lafayette confirmed. John Adams honked the horn again and Washington sighed.

“I’ll see you when I return.” He promised, turning and making his way to the impatient Vice President. The three veterans watched until the car was out of sight before returning in.

“Are the ladies still asleep?” Hamilton questioned.

“I think, but Fatty might have woken them up.” Laurens shared Hamilton’s dislike for the man. Alexander nodded.

“Then we should make breakfast before Angelica comes out and criticizes me for not making breakfast.” Hamilton muttered, wandering into the kitchen once more.

“What’s today’s plans?” Laurens sat on the counter and watched as Hamilton grabbed the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. It was Eliza that inspired him to buy things to make actual meals instead of just a pop-tart.

“Work for half of the day and for the other half you and I are going to get a suit tailored.” Hamilton briefed his boyfriend.

“Sounds good to me.” Laurens agreed, “What about you Laf?”

“I’m going to attempt for get my Washingtons back.”

“Good luck.” Alexander mumbled, “You staying for breakfast?”

“No I’m leaving now.”

“Good luck buddy.” Laurens repeated Hamilton’s sentiment, both knowing how hard it is to return to Martha’s good side. Lafayette game them a salute then left.  

Laurens helped Hamilton finish cooking because the most Hamilton could do was the bacon without messing it up. The man was a genius, he just could not cook. Eventually Hamilton gave up completely on cooking and just bothered Laurens. The man refused to give in, even when Hamilton placed kisses on the other’s neck.  When it came to cooking the man was strangely dedicated to his work. He wasn’t giving poor Alexander any attention.

Alex pouted then brightened up, coming up with a brilliant idea. He dropped down to his knees, which caused Laurens to look down at him suspiciously. He could guess where this was going to go.

“Do I need to turn off the stove.” There was no point fighting it.

“That would be a good idea.” Alex confirmed.

Laurens sighed and turned off the eggs. He would just give Hamilton the cold ones. When he turned back around Alex immediately took to nuzzling his crotch. They were both lucky that Laurens was only wearing his underwear. He, like Alex, got hot and took off his pants in the middle of the night. Though, Laurens did it unconsciously. He was an unconscious stripper.

As Alex began mouthing at the clothed cock Laurens grabbed fistfuls of his boyfriend’s hair. He was quickly becoming erect, and the front of his underwear was wet with precum and saliva.

“Stop playing.” Laurens demanded. Alex grinned and hooked his fingers around the waistband of the cloth. He pulled it down in a swift movement and in the next he took in the others shaft in its entirety. He gagged a little but he enjoyed the feeling. He pulled off a little and began bobbing his head. Laurens threw his head back as Alex stopped to trace his tongue along the underside of his cock. He cupped his boyfriend’s balls in one hand, massaging them slowly. He used the other one to palm at his own growing erection.

The both froze as they heard a sigh. They looked at the doorway and saw Eliza standing there, looking a lot less panicked than they thought she would.

“This is the second time.” She complained. Alex popped off Laurens and tried grinning. The precum-saliva mix dribbled down his chin.

“Sorry love.” He tried. Eliza sighed and shook her head.

“Hurry up and finish so we can get breakfast.” She requested, turning around and going into the kitchen.

“Babe, wait come back!” Alex got an idea. When Eliza returned he asked, “You told me you’re a virgin but what about other stuff?” Eliza shook her head.

“I’ve never done any of the other stuff either.” She informed.

“Are you willing to?”

“Right now?” She looked more awake than she did moments ago.

“Yeah. While I get John off, do you mind helping me out?” He gestured to his own erection that had only grown since his fiance interrupted them. He’s a voyeur at heart.

“I don’t know how…” She trailed off.

“But are you willing?” Alex checked. Eliza nodded, looking unsure but sure at the same time. She was sure she wanted to try it, she was unsure that she could learn, “Great come here.” Alex unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down just past his ass. Eliza was red but she went and sat down in front of her kneeling boyfriend. Alex threaded his fingers gently through Eliza’s hair.

“Okay just, don’t use teeth.” He told her.

“Any other advice you could give me?” Eliza asked as she hesitantly brought her hands up.

“Alex likes it when you hum.” Laurens spoke up, reminding Eliza that they weren’t alone. She nodded, still not actually touching it.

“Are you sure you want this?” Alex brushed her hair back from her face. He moved his other hand to slowly stroke Laurens’ cock.

“Yes.”

“Okay, then whenever you’re ready.” He decided his boyfriend had waited long enough and took his dick in his mouth again.

Eliza placed her hands gingerly on Alex’s hips and experimentally licked the lip of his penis. Alex made a small noise of encouragement which spurred Eliza on to try something more daring. She knew that she probably couldn’t deep throat him, but she wanted to try the humming thing. She braced herself and took as much of him into her mouth as she could. She used one of her hands to stroke what her mouth couldn’t reach, something she learned from watching Alex.

She began humming which caused the dick in her mouth to jumped slightly. She looked up at Alex threw lidded eyes, causing him to moan, and he quickly popped off of Laurens.

“Eliza you gotta stop now.” She frowned and pulled off.

“Why?”

“I don’t want you to have to swallow cum on your first time. Just rub me.” He demanded, and Eliza complied with his wishes. He returned to Laurens and within minutes they both finished at nearly the same time. Eliza frowned at some got in her hair and on her face.

“Sorry.” Alex mumbled. Laurens reached down and wiped some off her cheek, putting his finger in his mouth to taste it.

Eliza watched wide-eyed until she scrambled to her feet and announced, “I’m going to shower. Breakfast better be done by the time I get back.” She then retreated to the shower, trying not to wonder what that must have tasted like.

“Yes ma’am.” Both of the boys chorused after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so remember how i said not historically accurate? yeah i meant it. Instead the draft that Jefferson wrote up before going to france was just the rough draft, so technically when comes back he'll finalize it, (maybe use some active voice instead of passive voice i mean come on have you read the declaration?) they'll sign it, and it will be part of the law of the land


	10. The One with Lafayette and Martha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter filler chapter before the next chapter because next chapter we're adding someone else ;)

The slaves were discreetly gathering around the front lawn as Lafayette waited on the porch. He had sent one slave to fetch Martha, and the girl returned with no Martha. It was around noon by the time that the lady of the house came to the door, looking all sorts of upset. 

She simply said, “I can’t do this.” Then turned around and went back inside. She left the door open though, so Lafayette took it as an invitation and followed her.

“You’re not going to listen to me?” He asked, and she shook her head as an answer. She paused in the doorway to the parlor and looked back at him.

“I’m not going to do this again. I told you when you left-” He cut her off by stepping forward and kissing her, half expecting to be shoved away. Instead she gave almost no response, leaning into it only a little. Apparently she missed him a lot more than he thought. 

“You told me that you wouldn’t let me come back.” Lafayette remembered, then added, “I’m here to stay. I’m not going back to France.” Martha stared at him with distrustful eyes.

“You love France. What changed your mind?” She demanded, folding her arms. Lafayette considered this for a fracture of a second.

“Eliza Schuyler did.” He decided. Martha’s face looked much less hostile. 

“Sweet girl.” She said warmly, then her voice hardened again as she asked, “What did she say to you to convince you not to go to your home country.” 

“Dibs.” He told her seriously. 

Martha barked out a quick laugh, “She called dibs?” 

“And Hamilton responded. Hamilton doesn’t like relinquishing control to anyone. You’ve seen it every time George tells him to do something that Hamilton wasn’t planning on doing.” He persuaded, “But this girl shows up in his life and she’s taking the reins. He’s letting her make decisions that he wouldn’t make himself and he’s following them. Anyone who can tame the tomcat makes it worth sticking around.” 

Martha didn’t reply but to say, “Your English has improved.” 

“My French is even more better.” He informed. She didn’t respond to that other than to give him an incredulous look. He amended, “I mean even more well. Sorry.” Martha sighs but doesn’t comment. 

When the tea was ready she silently offered some, which he refused, but otherwise they sat across from each other on the different sofas until George came home.

The president walked in, noticed who was here, and walked out. Martha called him back to which he returned and stood behind his wife. 

“What should we do?” She asked her spouse. 

“He’s not leaving again.” George told her, always an advocate for Lafayette. 

“But what if he does? I can’t take that heartbreak again.” 

“Aren’t you working on getting Eliza for yourself?” 

Martha smirked, “I suppose I could leave Lafayette to you while I get the pretty Schuyler sisters.” 

“You could.” He began massaging her shoulders and she closed her eyes in thought.

“You want Hamilton and Laurens too, huh? I suppose the first step to joining their ‘harem’ would be opening our home to Gilbert.” She was referring to him by his first name. This was a good sign. 

“I want Lafayette more.” George amended, and Martha patted his hand. 

“Alright. You can have him, but I won’t be risking my heart this time.” She rose to her feet then paused, looking at Lafayette, “Will you be seeing Eliza again today?” 

“I don’t know.” He answered truthfully, it depended on how much work George had left to do today. 

“If you do set up a day for us to go out.” 

“There’s going to be a lot of wedding preparations, I think.” Lafayette told her before he could catch himself. Right, she didn’t know about the wedding.

“Wedding? Who’s getting married?” She walked forward until she stood in front of the Frenchman.

“Alexander and Eliza.” 

Martha whirled around and pointed at her husband, “I’m not waiting any longer. I want her and her sister.” 

George looked at his wife wearily, “Do whatever you need to, I’ll support you.” The first lady nodded and left the room, leaving George and Lafayette alone for the first time since the latter returned from France. 

The two stared at each other, the sexual tension slowly growing as their eyes wandered over the other’s body. For a brief moment their eyes locked before George turned around.

“I have work to do today, I shouldn’t get distracted.” Lafayette nodded. That was reasonable. Washington glanced back and continued, “But when Hamilton returns to do his job you and I will catch up.”

Lafayette grinned, “Sounds good to me.” Washington gave a slight nod and turned to go to his study. 

This left Lafayette with only one thing to do. He would go and shake up the town with Hamilton and Laurens. Of course, that would be after they went to that tailor to fix Hamilton's suit. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What ship are you looking forward to? I'm doing all of them


	11. The One with The Tailor's Apprentice

Angelica woke up while Eliza was in the shower. She didn't look surprised to see that breakfast was not ready yet despite it being almost nine. She was used to her boys disappointing her. 

As soon as Angelica arrived in the kitchen doorway Alex gave her a sheepish look, “Is there somewhere you need to be this morning?” 

“I'll be spending the day with Eliza.” Angelica informed simply. She gave a distasteful look to the stove that was being freshly reheated, grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter, and disappeared into the dining room. She returned a moment later with a chair.

“What are your plans today? More work until midnight?” She inquired, taking a bite of the fruit.

“Actually Laf, Laurens, and I were going to spend a day out together. Lafayette knows this really good tailor who he says would be the best man for the job.” Hamilton replied, leaning against the counter and letting Laurens take over cooking. They stayed silent, save for the occasional crunching of the apple.

“Why do you need a new suit?” Angelica eventually wanted to know.

“I tore up my old one.” Hamilton responded casually.

“He got into a fight.” Laurens put in.

“With who? And it was enough to tear a suit?” Angelica found this more amusing than she originally thought she would.

“....Adams.” Hamilton eventually muttered and Laurens laughed. 

“It got bad. They were arguing over something about the constitution and Adams mentioned something rude about Alex's mother and Alex punched him. This was all broadcasted live by the way, it should be online.” Laurens filled in the details. 

It was around that time when Eliza returned and breakfast finished cooking. They sat together around the table and Hamilton frowned.

“What's wrong?” Eliza didn't like to start eating until Hamilton did.

“We’re going to need to buy a bigger table. With Lafayette joining us there won’t be enough room.” He decided, then began eating. This prompted Eliza to eat as well.

Laurens paused mid-bite to say, “Lafayette might want to stay with Washington.” 

Hamilton shrugged, “Just in case.”

“Well, while Eliza and I are out we’ll find something.” Angelica told him. She had already finished eating, not wanting much because she had already eaten that apple. He nodded, satisfied with that response. 

Eliza ate her own breakfast quickly and stood up to leave with Angelica. She bent down to give Laurens a kiss on the cheek then Alex one on the lips and the two sisters departed to go do their running around town. This left Alexander and Laurens alone.

The latter finished eating before his boyfriend so he went to take his own shower. 

While Alex finished and begun to clear the table he got a text from Lafayette. At least, he assumed it was Lafayette. While the other was in France he got a new number, but the text read  _ “No Martha, but I got George! :)”  _

Alex snorted and responded,  _ “I figured you wouldn't get Martha back. When are you coming home?” _

The response took long enough for Alex to finish cleaning up and move to the couch. Laurens wasn't out of the shower yet, but he always took the longest ones. 

After what felt like ages the phone buzzed again, but this time it was from Eliza. It read,  _ “We found a table! :) :) :)”  _ She's the happiest texter, always abusing emojis. Alex loves it. His response is quick,  _ “That was fast. How much?”  _ He doesn't care about spending money, Angelica and Laurens do. 

The next time his phone buzzed was a response from Lafayette,  _ “George has a lot of work to do.”  _ Ah so no sex. Alex responds,  _ “Sorry buddy.”  _

Eliza sent,  _ “It's free! Angie got a phone call from an ex and one thing led to another and she convinced him to give us his table!”  _ This caused Alex to laugh aloud. Of course Angelica would be the type to take advantage of that situation. 

Laurens finally got out of the shower and sat next to him on the couch.

“What's new?” He asked, pulling out his own phone. 

Alex summarized, “The girls found a table and Laf is not getting laid.”

“That’s great.” Laurens replied noncommittally, scrolling through his Twitter. 

Alex didn't get anymore texts until a vehicle pulled into the driveway.

“Who's that?” Laurens glanced out the window as Alex received,  _ “Come outside.”  _ From Lafayette. 

“We're going out.” 

“Now?” Laurens didn’t want to get up from his comfortable spot on the couch, “Do I have to?” Hamilton huffed and stood up. He reached down and pulled his boyfriend up by the arm, and nearly dragged him out the door. He stumbled down the porch steps then straightened himself and opened the back door of the car, shoving Laurens in. 

“Yes.” He responded as he got into the front seat. Laurens sighed dramatically and stared at Lafayette pleadingly. The Frenchman simply rolled his eyes and turned to Alexander. He waited until the other put on his seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway.

The thing about Lafayette is everything he does is fast. When excited, he’ll talk fast. When he’s tired he’ll fall asleep fast. He takes fast showers and he always finishes his meals first. Unfortunately, this also means he drives fast. 

There is one spot in the city where the police love to hide to catch speeders. Hamilton was ready for it, the other two weren’t. When the inevitable blare of the sirens started behind them Hamilton was the only person not surprised. He simply sighed, pulled out his I.D., and waited. The neat thing about being one of this country’s founding fathers is that you never get speeding tickets. Your friends also won’t get tickets if they’re with you. 

When the officer arrived at the window Hamilton handed him his I.D. before the other man could talk. He checked it, nodded, and handed it back to him.  

“Have a good day sir. Try to go a little slower.” The officer told them and went back to his car without another problem. Laurens laughed and clapped Alex on the shoulder. Lafayette huffed and went back to driving, this time following the law.

“Before I went to France I never got pulled over.” He complained. Hamilton rolled his eyes.

Laurens responded, “Yeah. You were sleeping with the Washingtons and everyone knew.”

Alexander continued, “Then you left and Martha practically disowned you. What are you gonna do about her by the way?” 

Lafayette stayed silent for a solid two minutes, “I don’t know yet. I’ll figure something out.” He confided. His two friends said nothing in response, and he glanced over to see them locked in a staring contest. 

Hamilton was ridiculously competitive. No one wanted to compete with him in any way for a long amount of time, and honestly that feeling of being in a lock of wits was something that he lived for. With Eliza, she’s his support. She’ll give him the strength that he needs to keep going, but there’s no challenge there. Laurens his basically his wingman. He’d compete with him on small stuff but Hamilton always wins. Angelica is the closest thing that Hamilton has to the competition that  he desired. She’s just as witty as he is but she does tire of him on occasion. He needs someone who will never tire of competing with him and arguing with him. 

The two broke eye contact as Lafayette parked the car. He glanced back at them and smirked, “I’ve met this tailor one time and, well, Laurens get Eliza on the phone.” Hamilton looked at the shop and Laurens pulled out his phone. Lafayette winked at Alex and got out, smoothly walking into the building. When Alex followed the first thing he saw was Lafayette talking to who he assumed was the tailor. At least he really hoped it was.

Lafayette waved him further into the shop and Alexander confidently made his way over to them. The man he was talking to was larger than Hamilton and the young immigrant would bet that he gave really warm hugs. The man held out his hand to shake and Alex nearly melted at it’s size. 

“Alexander Hamilton, this is Hercules Mulligan. Hercules Mulligan, this is Alexander Hamilton.” Lafayette introduced. 

“Good to meet you Hamilton.” The larger man said gruffly and Hamilton’s eyes widened. 

“Yeah. It’s good you meet you two.” Hamilton stuttered out. 

“I’ll be right back with my ruler so I can get your measurements.” The tailor told him, before disappearing to the back of the store. 

“Tell Eliza.” Hamilton demanded. 

“She’s on the phone now. As soon as she heard his voice she squealed.” Laurens looked amused. 

“Hand me the phone.” Alexander didn’t look at his boyfriend, just held out his hand. When the phone was placed in it he brought it to his ear and said, “I want.” 

“Get him! I want too!” Eliza encouraged. 

“He’s really big.” Hamilton was nearly at a loss for words.

“Keep it cool Alex. Your intelligence is your only redeemable quality.” His fiance teased. 

“Hush he’s coming back. I’ll call you back in a bit.” 

“Good luck!” They hung up the phone and Alex braced himself, determined to win this man over. 

“If you step over here I’ll take your measurements and we can fix your suit.” Mulligan requested. The next hour and a half was filled with Hamilton trying to stand still while being prodded at, Laurens texting someone that Hamilton didn’t know but didn’t really care about, and Lafayette playing a game on his own phone. 

When Mulligan was finished he stepped back to admire his work and Hamilton winked at him. When he went to step off the stool, he tripped and fell into Mulligan’s arms. It was an accident but romantic. 

“I believe I have fallen for you.” Hamilton said seriously, looking up into the other man’s deep brown eyes. In the background Laurens choked on air at the cheesy line. 

“I get off at five. Pick me up and we can get some drinks?” The tailor invited. Hamilton grinned.

“Sounds great. Maybe later you can tear off my clothes instead of sewing them up.” He winked again and Mulligan laughed. Laurens left the building. 

“That’s a great idea. We’ll see how this goes.” Was the response he gave. Hamilton left with a phone number and a date for the night. Lafayette waved goodbye and got into the car where Laurens was already waiting for them.

“You left.” Hamilton complained.

“Those lines were terrible. That would never have worked on me.” Laurens told him seriously. 

“No, all I had to do to get you was suck your dick.” Hamilton responded.

“Is that really how that happened?” Lafayette asked as he pulled away and began driving down the street.

“We were drunk. He was great with his mouth and very willing.” Laurens told the Frenchman.

“Okay a lot of things happened before that but essentially yes.” Hamilton added. Laurens nodded and went back to texting whomever it was that he was texting. 

“So do you want us to go on the date too or will it just be you?” 

“Eliza will come with me. This one’s a keeper.” Hamilton decided, “Let’s go find her and Angelica so I can tell them.” 

“Where’d they go?” Lafayette stopped at a stop sign as all three boys tried to remember what the girls told them.

“I have no idea.” Hamilton said eventually. 

“Should we call and ask?” Laurens checked.

“...Yes but be discreet. So they think we were listening to them if they did tell us where they were going.” Hamilton affirmed. 

“Sounds good.” Laurens already had his phone out so he was the one who called. Before the girls answered Hamilton was handed the phone and mentally prepared himself to bluff his way to information.  Eliza picked up pretty quickly and Hamilton put her on speaker phone.

“Hello?” 

“Hi sweetie!” Hamilton began.

“What’s wrong? What did you do? Is Lafayette okay? Please tell me Lafayette is fine. I don’t know what I would if anything bad happened to him.” Eliza got very worried very fast. He didn’t normally call her sweetie. 

“Lafayette is fine.” The Frenchman snickered, “Laurens and I are fine too. Thanks for worrying about your fiance. So how is your day going?”

“Oh it’s going great! We’re heading home now so-” Hamilton cut her off.

“Home? Great! I’ll see you there!” And he hung up the phone. He knew somewhere in the back of his mind that Angelica would chew him out for hanging up on her sister but he would worry about that later. He handed the phone back to Laurens as his boyfriend got a text message from someone named “Martha”. 

The text read, “When will I see you?”

“Who’s Martha? And why does she want to see you?” Martha Washington doesn’t text.

“No one.” Laurens denied immediately. Hamilton frowned and his boyfriend amended, “No one important. No one for you to worry about.” 

“Well, if you’re sure.” Hamilton shrugged and then turned to Lafayette. They started up a separate conversation, “Martha” momentarily forgotten. Hamilton far too excited to get Eliza and go on a date with Mulligan to stay on one topic for too long. They both missed the distraught look that Laurens had on his face as Hamilton confronted him about “Martha.” 

Hamilton wouldn't think about it again for another four weeks. 


	12. The One with the Three-way Date

“He’s not expecting Eliza there. He’s only expecting you.” Of course Angelica was the person to try and talk some sense into Alex. It’s not the norm to bring a third person to a first date. This silenced Alex for only a minute.

“Okay, so I’ll just text him and be all, ‘is it okay if I bring a friend?’” Alex determined. Angelica sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. 

“Alex that is a great way to scare the poor man away.” She argued logically. Hamilton scowled and thought about what he could do. He didn’t want to go on this date without Eliza. He was already pretty serious about this guy. He’s loves pushing things along very quickly. Eliza walked up to where Hamilton was sitting on the couch and hugged him from behind as a form of comfort. 

“You can do this alone.” She encouraged, “I trust you.” Hamilton sighed and leaned back into the embrace. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention and watched Lafayette lower his phone. Hamilton momentarily forgot about that to continue thinking of ways to bring Eliza.

“What if I wear like a wiretapped vest so you can hear everything?” He checked. Eliza smiled softly and Angelica arched an eyebrow.

“You don’t have that kind of technology. Or the money to get that type of technology. Or the time to go and borrow that type of technology.” She told him, always the voice of reason. Lafayette’s phone buzzed and he smirked at Hamilton.

“You’re welcome, mon ami. I sent him a picture of you and Eliza and he wants to meet your fiance.” Lafayette confessed, “He’s also curious as to why an engaged man would ask another man out on a date.” Eliza cheered and Hamilton grinned.

“You’re the best Laf. Then Eliza and I will leave in three hours to pick him up.” Hamilton decided, “Until then, let’s watch a movie.” 

“I like that idea!” Eliza moved from around the couch to curl into Hamilton’s side. Angelica sat curled into his other side, and he put his arms around his girls. Laurens walked in from the dining room and glanced up from his phone to see the three on the couch and Lafayette in front of the movie cabinet searching for something decent to watch. He took a spot next to Eliza and wrapped an arm around her, putting his phone away and not picking it back up for the duration of the movie.

When Lafayette decided on a film he put it in, grabbed the remote, and took a spot close to Angelica.  The movie he chose was  _ Forest Gump _ . By the end of the movie Eliza was sobbing and Hamilton brought his other arm from around Angelica to embrace her. Angelica had fallen asleep, having seen the movie several times and wrapped comfortably in the arms of two men she loved. 

Lafayette had never seen that movie and he was left in awe, leaving Laurens and Alexander as the only two left unaffected. All-in-all it was a wonderful impromptu movie date. 

It took all three of the men to calm Eliza down and she made them all promise in turn that they would never ever die ever. Once that was done it was time to pick up Mulligan for their date. 

“There’s pizza left in the fridge, just eat that.” Hamilton told his boyfriends as he and Eliza were walking out the door. Eliza had walked ahead of him and was waiting by the car, staring impatiently and ready to go. Laurens rolled his eyes.

“I’m a better cook than you. I’ll make us an actual meal.” He convinced. He was  just as logical as Angelica when he tried to be.

“Good. I worry.” Hamilton wrapped his arms around Laurens’ waist and pulled him close. Laurens smiled and pecked Hamilton on the lips.

“If I fed Lafayette anything other than a three course meal, Eliza would kill me.” He teased lightheartedly. 

“That’s true. She’s already very attached.” Hamilton glanced back at his jokingly impatient fiance, who was just admiring the view. 

“I’m not surprised. He’s French.” Laurens replied sagely. Hamilton kissed his boyfriend once more before turning and stumbling down the steps on his way to the car. 

Eliza got into the car when Hamilton did, waving goodbye to Laurens. On the way there they made a game out of asking each other questions. 

“You go first.” Hamilton invited and Eliza hummed as she thought about a good question to ask.

“Okay!” She thought of a good one, “If we were not physically attracted to one another, what would you like about me enough to marry?”

“Oh that’s easy. Your kindness is a beautiful thing. What about you?” He glanced at her.

“You’re intelligence. Your turn.” 

Hamilton drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, “What is the best way for me to show you that I love you?” 

“Love letters and love poems.” Eliza decided, “And you?”

“Let me be free. Your turn.” 

Eliza rolled down her window before asking, “If I gained weight would you still find me attractive?”

Hamilton didn’t hesitate, “Yes.” 

Eliza beamed, “Right answer! I would love you no matter your size too. Your turn to ask something.” 

“What’s your biggest sexual turn-off?” 

Eliza frowned and said, “Being mean.” 

“Being mean.” Hamilton repeated.

“I don’t like mean people. Or rude people. Or people who aren’t nice.” Eliza held her ground well.

“Gotcha.”

“What’s yours?” 

Hamilton considered it, “John Adams.” He decided, “Nothing would turn me off faster than John Adams.” 

Eliza took a moment to laughed before asking her next question, “Would it bother you if I couldn’t have children? For medical reasons.” 

“Nope. We could use Angelica or we could adopt.” Hamilton changed the radio station before adding, “It’s always good to adopt orphans.” Eliza decided that that was true. They did have several partners. It would be really weird if it turned out that they were all sterile. 

“You ask something.” She invited when Hamilton began singing along to a song. 

“Are you comfortable being with me if there are things from my past that I’m not willing to share with you?” This question caught Eliza a little off guard.

“Yes. You’re not your past.” She decided, and noticed that Hamilton looked a little relieved about that. 

“You don’t need to tell me everything about your past either.” He told her. They had entered the area of the city that held the tailor’s shop, so they only had time for one more question. 

“When you’re in a bad mood, how should I deal with it?” Eliza asked. Hamilton wasn’t away from work enough for this need to arise, but just in case she felt that it was important to know how she should respond.

“Sit with me in silence for several hours, read or whatever, while I write about it. Afterwards watch some cheesy movie or cartoon with me.” He instructed, then glanced at her, “What about you?”

“Lots of hugs and kisses.” She smiled at him, a tender look that he returned, before he pulled into the parking spot to pick up their date from work. 

Eliza stepped out of the car first as Mulligan stepped out of the store. She smiled brightly at him and held out her hand.

“Elizabeth Schuyler.” She introduced, recognizing the man from a picture Alex had sent her.

Hamilton got out of the vehicle himself as Mulligan introduced himself to the lady, bending down slightly to kiss the top of her hand. 

“We have dinner reservations at that new French place that opened on the Square.” Hamilton told them when neither made any motion to move, both enchanted by the other’s looks. Eliza got into the back seat and Mulligan sat in the front seat next to Hamilton. 

“So you two are engaged?” He asked them when they were well on their way to the restaurant. 

“Yep!” Hamilton said cheerfully.

“And we couldn’t be happier.” Eliza added, then thought about it, “I mean we could.”

“We could?” Hamilton glanced back at her through the rearview mirror, “How?”

“If Mulligan were dating us.” She winked at the larger man and he laughed jovially. 

“You two have the same quirky flirting style.” He told them.

Hamilton shrugged and Eliza said, “It works.” They were quiet while Hamilton found a parking spot and they stayed quiet until they were seated at a booth, Eliza electing to sit across from her fiance and their hopefully soon-to-be boyfriend. 

“So how does this work?” Mulligan asked the important question that would be a little difficult to explain. Hamilton was more used to answering it but Eliza wanted a try. She nudged Alex with her foot letting him know.

“Well we both love multiple people at once.” Hamilton told him, then looked to Eliza so she could fill in the details.

“While we’re essentially the power-couple of the relationship we’re both dating several people. Hamilton is with me, my sister, and Laurens. I’m with Alexander and Lafayette and maybe Laurens.” 

“And it’s not cheating?” Mulligan checked.

“Not if we let each other know when we’re with someone else.” Hamilton answered. The three paused in their questioning to place their orders.

“So if I join you then who am I with?” 

Eliza and Hamilton glanced at each other and Hamilton told him, “Well, you’d need to be with either me or Eliza or both of us. Other than that whoever you like.” Mulligan nodded.

“So I can be with both of you?” He checked. 

Eliza grinned, “That would be preferred by us.” 

“Do I need to move in with you?” 

Hamilton answered, “Only if you want to. You don’t need to.” 

Mulligan nodded once more before deciding, “I’m in.” 

Eliza smiled pleasantly, “That was fast.” She commented. Hamilton also smiled but didn’t comment. He expected the answer to come quickly. 

“I knew that I wanted this before you two came to proposition me.” The tailor told them. That made sense, Hamilton didn’t make it a secret that he wanted to date the other man, and bringing Eliza would only confirm the other man’s suspicions. That meant that he had hours to think about whether or not this was something he wanted to try.

Mulligan continued, “But I think I’ll wait a few weeks before moving in with you. Maybe after the wedding.” 

“That’s completely understandable.” Eliza told him. Honestly it was the appropriate response. The only fast moving person about this was Eliza herself. Both Angelica and Laurens had known Alexander for several months or several years in the latter’s case. Lafayette was only living with them because he had nowhere else to go, at least until he could figure out how to win Martha Washington over again. 

The rest of the dinner was filled with small talk. Mulligan asked questions about Eliza’s family, and was surprised to find that she and Angelica were the wealthy daughters of Senator Philip Schuyler. He choked on his drink when he heard that Hamilton was  _ the _ Secretary of Treasury and a close personal friend of George Washington, an even higher position than Eliza’s father.

“If this works out then I don’t need to be a tailor. I can climb the ladder in a much more enjoyable way.” The apprentice realized as they were driving to his home to drop him off. 

“Yes. You’re pretty much set for life socially by being with us. If it works out.” Hamilton confirmed. 

Eliza added, “The amount of connections our little group has is amazing. I’m sure Hamilton could find you a government position if you wanted.” 

“Wanna be vice-president? It’s a fancy title with no actual responsibilities.” Hamilton invited.

At Mulligan’s confusion Eliza explained, “Alexander doesn’t like John Adams. John Adams doesn’t like Alexander.” 

“Even though he’s the vice-president?” Mulligan checked. Hamilton snorted and Eliza confirmed it. The tailor shook his head in wonder as Hamilton pulled the car into the man’s driveway. 

Mulligan gave Eliza his number and he set up another date with just Alexander for later down the week. Eliza moved from the back seat to the front seat and waved goodbye to the larger man.

When he was gone Alexander and Eliza resumed their question game as they made their own way home. 

“If you could fix one world problem, what would it be?” Hamilton asked.

Eliza knew this one by heart, “I would fix women's equality. What about you?” 

“Slavery. Your turn.” He smirked at her at the repeated phrase from the last game.

“What’s something that no one else knows about you?” 

Hamilton laughed before saying, “I have this close friend of mine whom I practically grew up with. We look so similar that people accuse my mother of having an affair so that we could be brothers. What about you?” 

“Angelica is my favorite sister.” Eliza confided.

“Even though you’re not supposed to have favorites?” Hamilton smirked at her. 

“Am I a bad person?” Eliza looked guilty and Hamilton shook his head.

“As long as you don’t have a favorite child or something I’m sure it’s fine.” He promised.

“It’s your turn to ask another question.” She informed after Hamilton paused in the game to sing along to another song. 

“If you were running for president, what are three key things you would include in your campaign?” He decided to go for a political question.

“I would go for equality, the abolition of slavery, and making immigration easier.” Eliza decided, “What about you?”

“A strong central government, the abolition of slavery, and isolationism.” He told her, his answers only surprising her a little bit. He answered quickly, making Eliza wonder if he’d already considered this.

“Do you want to be president?” She asked. 

He paused before asking hi own question, “Is this a part of the game?” 

“No.” Eliza confessed. 

“I don’t know. I could be, but I want Washington to stay in power for a very long time. No one can do this job as good as he can.” Hamilton told her, as he pulled the car into their own driveway. It was pretty late so they found the other three already asleep in the bed. Both Hamilton and Eliza got on separate sides of the group, Hamilton next to Angelica and Eliza beside Lafayette with Laurens in the very middle. 

Before falling asleep Eliza received a text from Martha Washington, it read “ _ This weekend, clear your schedule. You, your sister, Lafayette, and I are going to the theatre.”  _

Eliza replied with a quick, “ _ Alright :)”  _ Before shutting off her phone and putting it to the side. She made a mental note to let the others know as soon as she woke up the following morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was in a writing mood today and you got back to back chapters! Yay!  
> Are there any questions that you think Eliza and Hamilton should ask each other in their next question game? Or any questions that you want one of the other characters to answer?


	13. The One with the Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza and Laurens have a chat

The first thing that Eliza noticed when she woke up was that she was alone in the bed. The smell of bacon wafted in from the cracked door presumably from the kitchen. The smell was more than enough motivation for her to wake up and begin getting dressed. She decided on a pair of new jeans and a baby blue shirt. Angelica had told her that it was supposed to be cool today, so she also grabbed a loose jacket. She paused to think about whether or not she wanted to put on make-up and decided against it. Today would be a day spent inside, hopefully with whomever it was making the breakfast.

As she walked down the wooden floor into the kitchen the only sound that could be heard was the padding of her bare feet. That meant that Alexander was not home, because he never shut up. 

Upon arrival she was pleasantly surprised to see Laurens on his phone in front of the stove. On his phone… that reminded her.

“So last night,” She began, and he jumped slightly, not hearing her walk in. That’s weird, he’s usually pretty perceptive for this type of thing. 

He put his phone down and gave her his full attention, silently waiting for her to continue. She glanced behind him and saw that the stove was off, meaning that he had already cooked the bacon and was probably cleaning now. 

“Last night I received a text from Martha Washington,” 

Laurens adopted an incredulous look and cut her off, “Martha Washington doesn’t text.” The made Eliza pause. That’s true, Martha Washington doesn’t text; she prefers phone calls. Then who texted her from Martha’s phone? 

Eliza bit her lip as Laurens’ phone went off again, and she quickly read the name that flashed across it. She furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, “Then who’s texting you?” 

Laurens’ gaze quickly moved from the girl to his phone and he snatched it from where it was, all while saying, “Nobody important.” That’s rather defensive. 

Eliza adopted her best Angelica look and made her voice stern, “John Laurens. You’re hiding something from me If you tell me I won’t tell Hamilton, but if you don’t-”

“You won’t tell him?” Laurens cut her off for the second time. He didn’t meet her gaze. Eliza walked closer and gently grabbed his hand with one of her own, making soothing motions with her thumb on it’s back.

“I won’t.” Her voice moved from stern to gentle, and her expression turned less “Angelica”. 

“Do you promise?” He checked, finally meeting her eyes. She was shocked to see him looking vulnerable. Just who was he texting? 

“I promise.” She meant it. Still holding her hand he led her into the living room, sitting her down on the couch. He sat next to her and handed her his phone. 

“Martha is…” His voice broke, “Okay just know that I love you and I love Hamilton more than anything else.”

“Okay.” Eliza didn’t look at the phone and instead kept her eyes on his. 

“Martha is my wife.” He confessed, glancing down. 

Eliza was in shock for a moment, and when she spoke her voice came out as scratchy and robotic, “You’re married. Alexander doesn’t know that you’re married. You’re cheating on him.” She moved her hands from his and folded them in her lap. 

“Eliza please, I’m not cheating on him.” He tried but she was shaking her head.

“No, you’re cheating on him. This is a poly-amorous relationship, you can date whomever you want. You can’t be married and not tell anyone. That’s when it turns into cheating.” She was talking fast and her voice turned firm as she continued talking, not wanting to give him a chance to cut her off again. 

“I told you.” His voice was also becoming stronger and he emphasized the word 'you'.

“Only when I confronted you about it.” She argued back. Laurens glanced around the empty room before rising from his knees and sitting on the couch next to her. 

He placed a hand on her knee and replied, “When was I supposed to tell anyone? When Hamilton first saw me he asked me to move in with him. You saw that excited look in his eyes, I can’t break that by letting him know that I’m married. This was the only opportunity given to me to tell.” 

Eliza calmed down slightly and bit her lip, always willing to listen to logic. It’s true that they never confronted him about who he was texting, and life has been so happy that ruining it by bringing something like this up would really put a damper on everything. Her voice was gentler as she asked, “So while you two were separated you met a girl and fell in love and married her and then ditched her to come see Hamilton and move in with him?” 

Laurens winced, “Actually I got drunk and got her pregnant. You and Alexander are the only two people I love.” 

Eliza was once again in shock, “You met a girl you don’t love, slept with her, got her pregnant, then married her?” 

Laurens looked at her like it was obvious, “Of course, I won’t have my son grow up a bastard.” 

“Then why haven’t you divorced her? Your son won’t be a bastard anymore, his parents were wed.” Eliza had relaxed under his touch, and was effectively completely settled down. If she was having this conversation with anyone else then she would have broken up with him and told Alexander right away, but this was Laurens. Alex loved this man more than anyone, and she was quite fond of the both of them. So she reminded herself that this couldn’t count as cheating on anyone except his wife, which would be a problem for them to work out themselves. 

“I can’t divorce her. She has some of the best lawyers and they made me sign a contract saying that if I tried to divorce her I would never get to see my son again.” He glanced away helplessly and Eliza’s mind began to race.

“If I keep my eye out for a lawyer partnership that could get you out of this marriage without having you lose your son than are you willing to go through with the divorce?” She checked, and the phone in her hand buzzed again. Laurens bit the inside of his cheek and nodded. Eliza handed him back his phone, not bothering to take up the invitation to read the messages. 

“Alright. I won’t tell Hamilton, but I really think that you should.” She found that forgiveness comes easy to her, especially when a child is involved. 

Laurens looked at her hopefully, “And it can’t be counted as cheating?” He checked. Eliza thought about it.

“It can’t be counted as cheating.” She confirmed. Cheating caused too much heartbreak, and this situation was bad enough as is. Laurens gave a victorious smile and reached out to hug her. Eliza returned the embrace but pulled apart as another thought occurred to her. 

“Wait so who texted me?” Back to square one. Laurens laughed and he shrugged.

“I have no idea. Why don’t you try calling Martha and finding out?” He suggested helpfully. Eliza nodded and pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket, where she placed it as Laurens was pulling her into the kitchen. 

She dialed the number then put in on speaker phone so he could hear as well. Martha picked up on the fourth ring.

“Hello?” 

“Hi, it’s Eliza. Are you busy?” Eliza schooled her voice to sound respectful. 

Martha’s voice was warm as she responded, “I’m never too busy to talk with you, dear. What do you need?” 

“I received a text from you last night, but I was reminded of the fact that you don’t text. What was that?” She asked. Martha’s charming laugh sounded at the other end of the line.

“I have never texted anyone in my life. I meant to call you but George reminded me that it’s not really polite to call people late at night in case they were sleeping. So I had him text you in my place.” She explained. 

Laurens winked at Eliza, making Eliza smiled as she responded, “So you, Angelica, Lafayette, and I are all going to town this weekend?” 

“That’s the plan dear.” Laurens arched an eyebrow and mouthed ‘Lafayette’ at Eliza, looking confused. 

“Why is Lafayette coming with us?” Eliza asked, assumed that that was what Laurens meant.

“Oh my husband thought it would be nice to have him for a girl’s day out.” 

“Lafayette is a boy.” Now it was Eliza’s turn to be confused. Martha laughed again.

“My dear I think this is a conversation for you to have with Lafayette.” She told the younger girl, not clearing up Eliza’s confusion in any way.

“Oh, well thank you for taking the time to answer my call.” Eliza told the first lady.

“Of course, dear! Anytime.” With that she hung up the phone and Eliza frowned at Laurens.

“Lafayette is a boy.” She repeated. 

Laurens grinned, “Lafayette is whatever he wants to be.” He told her. Eliza shook her head, still not making sense of it.

“Then what pronouns should we use?” She asked, furrowing her brow.

“He likes male pronouns the most, but sometimes he’ll want us to use female pronouns. He lets us know beforehand when he’s going to have a girl day.” 

Eliza nodded, beginning to understand, “Oh, okay.” She paused and licked her lips, “So where is Lafayette now?” 

“He went with Angelica to try on dresses for the wedding. I think they were going to go to a store to find what they want, take a picture of it, then go to Mulligan to get it made cheaper and in better quality.” Laurens explained, leaning against the back of the couch with his shoulder, still facing the girl.

“Clever.” Eliza nodded in appreciation. Leave it to Angelica to find a way to dazzle the room while still being practical. 

Laurens snapped once to break the silence that followed and suggested, “Hey, let’s watch a movie today.”

“Sure! It can be an Eliza and John bonding day!” She began to get excited. Laurens laughed.

“These are the days that I live for.” He winked at the girl and then moved to search for a good movie to watch. 

He decided on a romance movie and sat with an arm wrapped around Eliza. She placed a hand on his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. She’d already seen this movie but she loves it all the same. She was lucky that she chose not to wear makeup today; she always cries at the end of the film. Laurens kissed the top of her head and they stayed silent throughout the entire film. 

While the credit were rolling Laurens muttered, “I hope Hamilton realizes how lucky he is.” 

Eliza dabbed at her tears with his shirt and asked with a cracking voice, “What do you mean?” 

“He gets to marry you.” Laurens sighed and continued, “If Martha was anything like you then I wouldn’t be here right now.” 

“Maybe you should go back to her, I mean she must miss her husband.” Eliza sat up and stared at him. 

Laurens shook his head, “No, she’s having an affair. She knows I know, and also knows that if I try to leave I lose my son.” 

Eliza gasped, bringing her hands up to her mouth, “It’s like she wants to leave you with nothing.” His wife is sounding more and more unpleasant. 

“If you can find a good enough pair of lawyers to get me out of this then be my guest.” Laurens said seriously. A thought randomly occurred to Eliza and she began laughing. 

At his befuddled look she explained through her giggles, “It’s not that funny, but she’s cheating on you with one person and you’re cheating on her with five people!” 

Laurens smirked and added, “Karma’s a bitch.” 

Once Eliza’s giggles subsided she wrapped an arm around Laurens’ neck and gave him a half-hug. She sighed and told him, “You know, it’s pretty important that you let Hamilton know though. I’ll make sure nothing drastic happens and you’ll still be around.”

Laurens leaned into the hug and cast his eyes to the credits still rolling on the television screen, “I’ll tell him when the time is right.” He promised. Eliza nodded, satisfied with that answer. 

Her stomach decided that now was the perfect time to let her know that it’s nearly lunch time and she still hasn’t eaten anything. Laurens gave her a slow smile and detangled himself from her.

“I’ll make us some sandwiches and we can put in another film.” He suggested, making his way into the kitchen. When he glanced back Eliza gave him a thumbs up and she stood up, stretched, and went to find another movie.

As she knelt in front of the cabinet she called, “I’m thinking a horror film.” Laurens’ laugh sounded from the other room and he popped his head around the corner to tell her, “Alexander can’t handle horror movies. He gets scared at the littlest things and has to hide his face in the shoulder of the nearest person.” Eliza’s jaw fell open.

“Alex’s quirks are adorable.” She gushed and Laurens nodded.

“Isn’t he great?” Laurens took on a nostalgic look and tone of voice as he continued, “I remember a time when he was watching a horror film in the theatres with Washington. As soon as a jump scare happened, Hamilton jumped into the president’s arms. I’ve never seen Washington look so happy.” Eliza giggled and Laurens disappeared into the kitchen once more to finish making their sandwiches. 

She decided that she really needed a date with just the two of them, and despite the heavier tones earlier in the day this was turning out to be really nice. As he returned with two plate and a couple cans of Root Beer under his arm, Eliza settled deeper into the couch, pressed play on the remote, and made a mental reminder to find two lawyers so Laurens could be free. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things where discussed in this chapter, so I'll summarize.  
> 1) Laurens is married to a lady named Martha Manning. Historically he didn't actually tell Hamilton that he was married until several months into knowing him, so this is sorta like a nod to history.  
> 2) John's wife is a bitch.  
> 3) Lafayette's gender. He's anatomically male and prefers to be male, but sometimes he'll see a very cute dress and is like fuck it I'm a girl and then he totally works it.  
> 4) Martha has a lawyer duo that is really really good and Laurens knows that if he gets a divorce then he'll never see his son again and he doesn't want to lose his son.  
> 


	14. The One with the Theatre Date

No one was as surprised that Lafayette was going with the girls than Lafayette himself. Try as he might, he didn’t know why she would bother inviting him. Still, who was he to ignore an invitation from the first lady? 

When the weekend rolled around he was the last person to wake up, Hamilton and Laurens at their respective jobs or wherever Laurens went during the day. Eliza and Angelica were in the living room, waiting for Martha to come pick them up. Lafayette glanced as the show that they were idly watching and noticed that it was the news. Apparently the president was going to hold a cabinet meeting about isolationism tomorrow. The two arguing the matter in front of congress would be Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. 

Hamilton probably wouldn’t come home for the weekend, during large things like this he elected to work for every second until the meeting. Come to think of it, that reminded LAfayette of Jefferson. Of course, he was much less extreme than Alex, as he could be found taking the occasional break. Upon hearing his name both girls looked like they were paying much more attention. Lafayette had to loudly clear his throat to get their attention, and they only looked at him when they were sure that the news was done talking about their Hamilton. 

“When is Martha coming?” He was still unsure what she wanted with him, she made it clear that he would have to fight to get her back. 

Angelica was the one who answered him, her facial expression melting into an annoyed one, “She  _ should _ be here any minute.” 

Eliza continued with, “Angelica is…um..” She trailed off, searching for the word to use that wouldn’t aggravate her already annoyed sister, “ _ upset _ because Martha said that she would be here five minutes ago.” Angelica doesn’t like to be kept waiting, even if it’s the first lady making her wait. Lafayette gave a tired sigh and returned to the room to find something to wear. 

He debated whether or not he wanted to wear girl clothing but decided against it. Instead he grabbed one of Alex’s turtleneck shirts that were too big on him and a pair of jeans. Alexander sometimes liked to wear oversized shirts because they were easier to relax in. Lafayette imagined that when he was more comfortable with Mulligan, the tailor would find that he had plenty of sweatshirts stolen and in with Alex’s stuff. 

Last night Lafayette found him asleep on the couch with his computer open in front of him. Eliza wandered in at one point, threw a blanket over him, and gently took his computer and put it on the table. She plugged it in to make sure it kept its charge overnight and didn’t die, deleting anything Alex didn’t have saved. She, of course, saved his documents just in case it crashed. When she was finished with the computer she went back into the living room, kissed Alex on the forehead, shut off the light, and joined the others in their very large bed. 

Lafayette was certain that Alex had picked the right one of them to marry. Eliza was too good to let pass, and if Alex didn’t marry the girl, then he was sure one of the others would. 

As he was getting dressed he heard the doorbell ring, and a few moments later heard Martha’s voice. The woman, it sounded like, was apologizing for being late and giving the ladies some excuse. She asked something that Lafayette couldn’t quite make out and once she received and answer the conversation went silent. 

Less than a minute later the Frenchman heard a knock at the door, followed by Martha’s muffled voice saying, “Gilbert?” 

Lafayette felt his throat go dry and he hoarsely called back, “Come in.” Martha let herself in and closed the door behind her.

“I need your help.” She confessed, and he stared at the woman blankly. Martha never asked anyone for help. Of course, she also never texted anyone so he supposed there was a first time for everything. 

He wet his lips before replying, “With what.” Martha fidgeted for a brief moment. 

She glanced around the room as if soaking it in before informing him, “Alexander doesn’t want George and I to be with you guys in your… um … _ harem.  _ I want very much for us to be involved. You were invited very quickly so I need you to help us get invited. If you do, I’ll forgive you for abandoning me.” Lafayette wasn’t that surprised by the request, only that she was asking for help. Of course this would be what she wanted, she wants Eliza.

There was a beat of silence as he considered their options before the Frenchman responded, “I’ll do what I can. The easiest person to convince will be Eliza, Alex will be the hardest.”

“I’m certain Eliza is already convinced.” Martha sounded more confident now that he had accepted her request for aid. He turned around to grab a jacket, picking one of Alex’s, and when he turned around he noticed Martha’s gaze flickered up from where it had been. Had she been staring at his ass? That’s weird... but not unwelcome. 

“Angelica could be a big help in getting Alex to agree to this. Laurens too but, uh, he’s not here. If you win Angelica over she can place subtle hints that he wants this.” Lafayette advised, walking past Martha to open the door. He held it open for the first lady and she maintained a dignified walk out of the room. 

“How would we win over Laurens?” She inquired while they were in the hall. Eliza popped in from the other room and stared at them curiously, leaning to the side just far enough that her long brown hair cascaded down like something akin to a waterfall. Lafayette felt the urge to braid it. 

“Win over Laurens for what?” She wondered. Martha gently dragged the tip of her index finger across Eliza’s cheek affectionately as she walked past, ignoring the question. Lafayette smiled at the girl and followed the first lady. 

Angelica, who was already waiting for them in the car, had grabbed the aux cord and was playing broadway showtunes. Martha sat in the back and waited for the other two to follow before commanding the driver to take them to the downtown theatre. 

The silence stretched out for what felt like eons, broken only by Angelica occasionally singing some parts of certain songs. Eliza stared down at her hands until she suddenly snapped her head up, gazing at Martha with a question in her eyes.

“What, child?” Martha noticed this too. 

“Why don’t you text?” She asked innocently. Lafayette laughed, already knowing the real answer to this question, and preparing himself for the rant that they were about to receive. 

Martha had an almost annoyed look flicker across her face as she replied, “It’s  _ barbaric _ . There’s no need to text when people can call just as easily. Texting takes too long to receive and give answers, especially when discussing important things. Back in my days we had phones that didn’t have screens. We had no choice but to call-”

Lafayette cut her off, his voice tinged with laughter, “She can’t text.” Martha glared at him and Angelica joined him in his laughter. 

“She… doesn’t know how?” Eliza was the only one not laughing, other than Martha of course. 

“She doesn’t like learning new things. If she could have it her way we would all communicate using a messenger pigeon and live in a technology-less society.” Lafayette teased. 

Martha hissed, “I shouldn’t need to learn something this  _ stupid _ .” Not acknowledging the messenger pigeon jab. They danced this waltz many times. It was Lafayette who got Hamilton to teach George how to use the new technology. Of course, that was because George wanted a reason to spend more time with Hamilton outside of work. It worked for a short time. Still, Martha always said that she blamed Lafayette for the advancement of technology.

“So the point of this is,” Angelica settled the argument, “Martha Washington doesn’t text.” Everyone present nodded their heads in agreement, and upon looking outside the car noticed that they had arrived to their destination. How quickly time passed during friendly banter. 

The wife of the president led the way into the theatre, and it was only when she was at the doors that her company realized just how many secret service agents were around. It was easy to forget that those with high standing in the government got their own bodyguards. Hamilton’s don’t hang around as much, only when he’s making a very public political appearance. 

They got their own balcony seats with one too few seats for those present. Eliza made do and sat on Lafayette’s lap, not noticing the attention that this got from all those around who recognized her as being with Alexander. The public doesn’t know about their arrangement, because Eliza doesn’t feel the need to let them know about it. Also Alex thinks that their reactions are funny when they see people like Laurens and himself flirting on the street as Eliza walks ahead of them with her sister at her side. 

The secret service brought in snacks and such as requested, not trusting slaves to not spit in the first lady’s food. The show itself was delightful, it was a musical about Aesop’s Fables. Eliza loved the story and she found many of the characters very cute. 

However the show wasn’t the most interesting part of the theatre, it was who them met walking out of the theatre, waiting for their own car to come pick them up. Lafayette was the one who recognized the person, grinning and walking up to him like an old friend. The ladies followed behind more slowly, all curious to know who it was who Lafayette greeted almost like an old friend…. If you weren’t that friendly with the old friend. Burr looked surprised to see him but relaxed as they fell into a conversation. Lafayette looked down at him almost disdainfully.  

“Eliza, come here.” He waved the young girl closer, and the man he was with held out his hand. Eliza shook it as Lafayette introduced, “Eliza, this is Aaron Burr. Burr, this is Eliza.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Eliza curtseyed slightly, “How do you and Lafayette know each other?”

Lafayette was the one who answered, “Burr was sort of our...uh…  _ friend  _ during the war.” 

Burr shook his head at that, smiling warmly at Eliza, “Lafayette and Laurens couldn’t stand me. I was sort of friends with Alexander.” He explained. The girl’s eyes brightened.

“You were friends with Alex when he was young?” She asked excitedly. 

Burr confirmed, “I knew him slightly before the rest of his posse.” 

Martha made her way to the front to stand next to Eliza and cried, “Then you simply must come to the wedding!” Burr recognized the lady almost instantly.

“Miss Washington!” He greeted, dipping his head in respect, “What wedding?” 

“Eliza and Alexander.” Angelica informed, opting to stand back and watch them from a distance. She could already tell that she doesn’t like Burr.

Burr let this sink a moment before giving a charming smile and addressing Eliza, “May I bring a plus one?” Eliza nodded, also eager for the man to come to the wedding. She would have to ask Alex about him later, after the debate with Madison. 

“Then tell Alexander to expect me.” A sleek black car pulled up next to them and he stepped back towards it, “This one’s mine. I’ll see you at the wedding.” The group watched him disappear before signalling for their own vehicle to come get them. 

Once inside, Eliza and Angelica discussed the show while Lafayette and Martha maintained a silent conversation. He felt that this was the right time to bring up to Eliza that she wanted to date her, and Martha wasn’t certain. In the end she gave in, believing Lafayette to be right about this sort of thing, like he usually was.

“Eliza, darling.” Martha broke through Eliza’s gushing about the cute hare and the younger girl gazed kindly at the lady. She didn’t speak, only gave her attention, “Do you know how fond my husband is of your fiance?” 

“I imagine quite.” Eliza answered. 

Martha nodded and continued, “It’s in both of our interests to be included in your relationship.” She found bluntness was the way to go in this scenario, an opinion that Angelica shared. 

Eliza looked a bit taken aback but replied, “I would love that..but Alex…” She glanced down at the floor of the car and continued, “Well, Alex told me that I needed to meet Laurens first. I met Laurens months ago and Alex hasn’t brought you and your husband back up.” 

Angelica’s eyes flickered back and forth between the two girls before settling on Martha and she interrupted, “I can help. It will take awhile, and we really need Laurens, but I think Alex cares about Washington as well.” 

Martha looked hopeful as she repeated a question she had asked earlier in the day, “And how do we get Laurens?” 

Eliza waved her hand, “I can do that. Before any of that happens, I need to find a lawyer.” She frowned and then asked, “Do any of you know any good lawyers?”

Lafayette surprised them by laughing, “Yes. So do you. You know the best.” 

“I do?” 

“You just met him. Aaron Burr.” 


	15. The One with Hamilton vs Madison

Hamilton stormed angrily up the stairs to the "temporary" congress building. It's an over glorified stadium type thing. They worked with what they could get, and right now a brand new building just for the legislative branch is not on the top of their list of urgent things. They don’t have the money for that type of thing, or a budget. Something that people were griping on Hamilton to come up with so they could just tear it down.

That wasn’t the reason for Hamilton’s anger. He had to weave his way through a massive throng of people because some _genius_ had the brilliant fucking idea to make this debate open to the public. It’s the first major debate over a problem that Hamilton felt shouldn’t have even gone to congress in the first place.

When he reached the top of the steps, he felt a finger tap his shoulder. He whirled around to snap at the person to leave him alone but stopped himself as he saw Eliza’s worried gaze.

She had to raise her voice so she could be heard above the roar of the crowd, “What’s going on?”

Hamilton brought her closer to him so he could say in her ear, “I’m going to kill him.” Before releasing her and entering the building, leaving Eliza even more worried than before and also a little confused.

Of course Hamilton knew who was responsible for this. At first he thought that it was Madison, but Madison isn’t that stupid. He burst into the room where the meeting was going to be held, and the fact that it was a massive stadium only fueled his anger. There was a stage in the center of the room, and a reserved area just for the members of congress. The rest of the seats were being filled by the public. The public that didn’t _need_ to be here.

In the center of the stage were the Washingtons, Madison, and the bitch who was the target of Hamilton’s upset. He marched on the stage, and didn’t say a single word. He punched John Adams in his fat face.

The room went still. The crowds were silent, Adams was staring at Hamilton in shock, Martha brought a hand up to her mouth, and George looked like he just received the largest headache.

It was Madison who broke the silence, “I agree with Hamilton.” and the crowd broke into a cheer. The masses loved it when the founding fathers fought. George raised a hand and the crowd went silent, he didn’t say anything until everyone who could fit in seats where in their seats. Out of the corner of his eyes Hamilton saw Eliza and Angelica move to the front row, where Laurens and Lafayette had already moved while Hamilton was marching on stage.

George sounded almost drained as he asked, “Hamilton, why did you punch the vice-president?”

“The public should not be here. They should be at home watching this on the television.” Hamilton defended himself, looking up at Washington.

Madison spoke up once more, “These meetings should be private, vice-president Adams had no right to invite people to come watch.”

Adams protested, “The public has a right to be in the room where it happens.”

“Not where congress is subject to peer pressure!” Hamilton argued loudly.

“Congress is made of adult men, they’ll be fine.”

“Not when one of us receives larger cheers then the other. Congress feels obligated to vote in favor of the one the public approves of in fear of riots.” Madison argued calmly.

“Then ask the audience to hold their applause.” Adams snapped at Madison, then looked at Hamilton and continued, “Your fiance is here. Don’t you think she would rather be here to support you?” This made Hamilton even more angry. How _dare_ he pretend to know what Eliza wants.

He raised his fist to hit Adams again but was stopped by Washington.

“Son-” He began.

Hamilton muttered, “Don’t call me son.”

Washington ignored him, “Let’s just get on with the meeting. We have a lot of ground to cover in not a lot of time.” Hamilton scowled but complied, moving to his own seat. Madison took the floor first and Adams went to sit in the crowd.

Madison began, facing the men of congress, and while he spoke his voice was quiet and reserved to the point where people in the back of the room struggled to hear what he was saying, “We are a nation that has been urged to stay neutral by Secretary Hamilton. When he advises “neutrality” he chooses his _own_ definition of the word. True neutrality is not getting into the affairs of other nations, that includes, but is not limited to, taking in fleeing citizens. If countries are trying to keep control over the public they won’t be too thrilled with America playing the rescuer. Often times, people are fleeing for a reason. You don’t _flee_ from your government if you’re not guilty, you flee from your government if you’re aware that they could punish you justly.

This is why I propose true neutrality. We accept no immigrants, at least until we can create a more secure system of taking in the immigrants.” With that Madison stepped back and several men in congress nodded and there were many whispers of approval. In the early stages of the nation, there’s no way to ensure safety with this sort of thing. Hamilton stood up and took Madison's spot. 

He glanced at the congress, then turned to address the people, his voice naturally projecting throughout the entire room, “Everything that James Madison has said today is wrong.” Pausing for the mumbles in the audience to die down. Eliza leaned forward in her seats, unconsciously putting her hands to her mouth. Hamilton continued, this time turned to Madison, “You flee from you home in search of hope, in search of a new beginning. Those looking for a new beginning work harder to get what they want.

And when I say _neutrality”_ He mimicked Madison’s inflection of the word, then turned to face the audience once more, “I mean staying out of war. This is not a debate about neutrality, it’s a debate about immigration, about making certain our country prospers. We are all immigrants.” Hamilton’s gaze wandered the audience until it settled on his family, “We are either immigrants from Great Britain, from France, from Spain, from Norway, or…” Hamilton’s voice quieted significantly as he said, “From the West Indies.” He paused and locked eyes with just Eliza before abruptly turning to the congress, addressing them for the first time, his voice back at it’s normal volume, “Our nation is secure. It can handle taking in immigrants, and, but don’t take my word for it, I’m just the Treasury Secretary, if we allow easy access into our country we gain a lot of money very quickly. Halting the flow of immigration also slows the slave trade.” This gained the attention of those who were previously agreeing with Madison, Hamilton swallowed then continued, “The slave trade makes individual citizens money. If you vote to stop immigration you, vote away your money.”

Madison rose from his seat and moved to address Hamilton, “You’re arguing for slavery.” He told him.

Hamilton scowled and shook his head, turning to face Madison completely, “Everyone here knows my stance on that. I’m arguing for immigration, and putting it in terms that _they_ ,” He gestured to the congress, “can understand.”

“But if they vote away immigration they vote away slavery, and that’s something that you want.” Madison argued.

“Not true! If they vote away immigration there’s still slavery. This isn’t a debate about that either. Voting away immigration stops the flow of slaves in from other countries, meaning less money in the pockets of slave owners.”

“If the flow of slaves stops then eventually we’ll run out of slaves.”

“People will find new people to enslave.”

Washington’s voice cut into their bickering, “Enough. Let’s put it to a vote.” He rose to his feet and addressed congress, “Those in favor of continuing the path of immigration, raise your hand.” The vote was unanimous, and even some of the public raised their hands, “The vote his made. Nothing changes. Dismissed.” With that Washington turned around and left.

The people began to file out, muttering to their friends and families about their own opinions of the decision. Most were in favor of it, but there was a few that believed Madison should have won. Hamilton stayed and waited for his partners to come on stage to him.

As Madison passed on his way out he whispered, “Enjoy this victory, Hamilton. You just wait until Thomas comes home.” Hamilton scowled at the man's retreating back, his eyes wandering just a little further down. A finger snapped in front of his eyes and he looked up into the worried face of his Eliza.

“Fuck I'm tired.” He pulled her into a hug and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

“Were you just staring at James Madison's butt?” Angelica asked him from the side, sounding almost incredulous.

“I'm tired.” He mumbled into Eliza's neck, tightening the hug just a little.

“Come on Alex.” Eliza cooed as she began walking him put the door, “You can sleep in the car.” Now that he was done with this he’ll crash like he usually does. He'll probably sleep for the rest of the weekend.

Alex did his best not to let Eliza go, which made it very difficult to walk out of the building. Imagine Eliza's relief when a large tailor came and scooped him up bridal style.

Eliza beamed, “Mulligan! You were here too?” The man grunted in affirmation, and the group continued walking to the car, much easier this time.

“Mon cher, you should have sat with us! You're more than welcome.”

“I arrived late.” Mulligan answered the Frenchman, “I missed this little lion punch the vice-president.”

“You should've seen how proud Laurens looked.” Angelica teased, “I think I saw a few tears.”

“I'm always proud of Alex.” Laurens winked at the girl cheerfully. Everyone's spirits were high with Hamilton's victory.

“When he wakes up we should all go out to eat to celebrate.” Eliza decided. She looked up at Mulligan and added, “ _All_ of us.”

“Good idea. 'm hungry.” Alex mumbled sleepily. His eyes had already fluttered shut.

“Oh while you're conscious, I wanted to tell you something.” Eliza said while placing a hand on Alex’s knee.

“Mm?”

“I invited one of your friends to the wedding.”

“Which one?” That question was a little difficult for Eliza to make out, so she answered what she assumed was the question he asked.

“Aaron Burr.” Alex’s eyes flashed open and for a moment he appeared wide awake.

He grinned, “Burr’s in town? That's great! He should come eat with us.”

“Oh that's what got you alert.” Angelica sassed from where she was walking behind Mulligan.

By this time they reached the car. Laurens got in first, muttering about how the air felt like rain was coming, then Eliza. Mulligan rested Hamilton across their laps, where the smaller man was more than content to be. Lafayette sat up front, telling Laurens that he really _doubted_ it was going to rain, and Angelica decided to drive. She was the best fully conscious driver.

Before they left Eliza had Laurens roll down the window so she could call to Mulligan, “I’ll text you when we decide on a date to go celebrate.” The man gave a half smile and a wave as Angelica drove away.

Hamilton shifted onto his side so his face was pressed into Laurens’ abdomen. The other man ran his fingers through his boyfriend's hair as he absentmindedly stared out the window.

Eliza watched this with a peculiar feeling in her stomach. She felt a sudden urge to talk to Mr. Burr immediately, because she wanted to see the worried lines in Laurens’ face go away.

She did text him, but instead of bringing up her desire for him to take a case she brought up something else, “ _Did you see the debate?”_

Burr replied quickly, “ _Hamilton's losing his touch.”_

What does he mean by that? “ _What do you mean?”_

_“When we were lawyers and we worked on cases together he flowed a lot better.”_

Wait… what? Eliza placed her hand on Alex's back. She traced one of the lines as she responded.

“ _You two were lawyers together?”_  

Hamilton didn't make a sound, meaning he was sound asleep.

“ _We never lost a case when we worked together._ ” That changes Eliza's plan significantly; she found her second lawyer to take on Laurens’ divorce case. Unfortunately, that means that Hamilton's going to need to find out about it before it got annulled. Eliza stopped rubbing her fiance's back and instead just rested her hand there.

“John.” Eliza whispered. The man turned from the window to give her his attention. She showed him the messages and he frowned.

“You're going to have to tell him soon.” She continued whispering so as not to alert her sister and Lafayette to the issue.

Laurens frowned down at his lover before looking back up at Eliza. She recognized the helpless look in his eyes and continued, “You won't lose him, just talk to him. He'll be upset at first, but I'm sure he'll forgive you.”

“I'll talk to him...Later.” Laurens promised, looking back out the window, resting his hand in Hamilton's hair. It had begun to rain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Petition to let Hamilton sleep?


	16. The One with the Favorites

The following week was a blur for Hamilton. He never got his congratulatory dinner, but Eliza did make him a pie, which was just as nice. Besides that his routine for everything was the same: work until he could not work anymore, sleep, eat, shower, and repeat. Eliza went on dates with other people so Hamilton encouraged her via text whenever he could.

Eventually his unhealthy work habits got to being a problem again, and once more Washington forced him to take some time off. It was during this time that Hamilton was able to observe something that he never really thought about before.

It all started when he and Lafayette were visiting the Washingtons. Martha had several ladies that Hamilton didn’t recognize, as well as Abigail Adams, over for afternoon tea. Hamilton could read the atmosphere and knew he wouldn’t exactly be welcome, he did punch the lady’s husband on live television after all, so he was holed up in Washington’s office.

He was fine with it of course, it gave him an excuse to work, despite George’s protests and Lafayette muttering something about how he was going to die from overworking himself in French. That wasn’t the weird thing, the weird thing is what Hamilton saw when he looked up from his computer. It was weird how Lafayette and Washington held a silent conversation. They looked at each other in such an intimate way that made Hamilton feel awkward and almost like the third wheel.

He watched this for as long as they kept it going, and honestly this felt more personal than that time a few days ago when he literally walked in on Mulligan fucking Lafayette against the master bedroom wall. When they finally broke eye contact it was to simultaneously glance down, and when they looked back at each other Lafayette had a faint blush to their cheeks and Washington gave a gentle smile. Washington doesn’t smile. Hamilton has only seen Washington smile once, and that was after they kicked British butt in Yorktown.

That was what got Hamilton’s mind racing, and for the first time he wondered, _is he marrying the right person?_ He abruptly slammed his computer shut and stood up, causing both men to look at him. He nodded to them and went to leave, stumbling down the stairs as usual, and taking the car. He needs to go home and talk to Eliza. Lafayette can get a ride home with Washington, or he would stay the night with him, Hamilton didn’t care all that much.

He was relieved to find Eliza home alone. The girl was in the middle of painting her toenails on the couch when Hamilton arrived, and she looked surprised to see him. Her hair was up in a messy bun and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. Hamilton found this look adorable, but he didn’t let it distract him from the matter at hand.

He sat on the couch and gently moved the nail polish to the floor next to the couch. He then paused the movie that she was watching. Afterwards, he took Eliza’s hands in his own, and the girl gave him her full attention, now more than a little concerned.

He licked his lips and began with the stereotypical line, “We need to talk.”

Eliza nodded, her concerned look melting into one of acceptance, and she responded, “Okay, what do you want to talk about?”

“I’m not sure we should get married.” Hamilton confessed, dropping his gaze down to look at their hands. Eliza shifted them so she could thread her fingers through his.

“Why not?” She sounded calm, much more calm than she felt. Now this is where it gets to the hard part, because Hamilton doesn’t know anything for sure.

“Did you know that _some,_ not all, but _some_ people in polyamorous relationships have favorites?” He began. At Eliza’s nod he continued, “I get that we agreed that we would be the main couple, and on some level I still feel like we should, but I also think that I should marry my favorite.”

Eliza didn’t respond for several heartbeats and when she did it was to ask the simple question, “Who do you think you should marry?” Her mind had instantly gone to Angelica. After all, the two were practically soulmates. She wasn’t ready for his response.

“I think I should marry Laurens.” Hamilton spoke slowly and Eliza’s breath caught in her throat.

“You can’t marry Laurens.” She blurted. This caused Hamilton’s gaze to shift from their intertwined fingers and into her eyes. He frowned.

“Why not?”

“Because…” Eliza began, but trailed off. _Because he’s already married._ She can’t tell him that. Laurens has to tell him that. If Hamilton were to propose to Laurens right now then he would tell him no and everything bad would start to happen. Her mind raced, what would Angelica say? Eliza instantly knew what she had to do, and she ducked her head down, this time it was _her_ choosing not to meet his eyes, and when she spoke her voice sounded helpless, “Because you don’t know that he’s your favorite. You could just not have one.” Angelica would pinpoint Hamilton’s hesitation with this, his reason for wanting to talk about this instead of just telling her. Then Angelica would use that against him.

It worked, Hamilton grimaced, “That’s true. And if that’s the case then I still want to marry you.” He paused and then he was the one sounding unsure, “So then what should we do?”

Eliza considered her options, she needed Laurens to have a chance to let Hamilton know that he was married with a child and never told him. If done wrong, Hamilton could take the news very badly. Earlier Eliza wasn’t concerned with this being an issue, unfortunately with Hamilton talking about “favorites” and him thinking that Laurens is his favorite, they need to tread carefully. So Eliza began to formulate a plan.

“Okay, first we’ll reschedule the wedding. I wanted to do it this May, but with your doubt I think a later wedding would be best.” Hamilton nodded in agreement and Eliza continued, “Tomorrow, I’ll make sure that you and Laurens have the entire house to yourselves. You can do whatever you want, be however loud that you want, without worrying about one of us walking in again. Although, I would advise that you two take the time to _talk_ to one another.” She prayed silently that Laurens took the initiative and talked about the correct thing. She felt that he would when he finds out that Hamilton might want to marry him instead.

Honestly, shouldn’t he have thought about that before proposing to her? Hamilton was a genius, but _Christ_ sometimes the man could be so _stupid_.

Hamilton bit the inside of his cheek in thought before adding, “Alright, but I don’t think we should tell the others about it.”

Eliza stared at him blankly, “They’re going to notice when the day of the wedding rolls around and we _don’t get married._ ” Hamilton let out a small puff of laughter and shook his head.

“No I mean, we can tell them about that part. Let’s not tell them who I’m thinking about marrying instead. Just in case this turns out to be a false alarm.” He paused and his gaze unconsciously began to wander about the room. He snapped it back to her and continued, “I love you.” He brought one of his hands up and cupped her chin with it, “Do you know that?”

“I know.” Eliza told him softly.

“I want to make you happy, but I can’t do that if I’m not happy. And who knows, this could just be a case of me missing him. I haven’t had any contact with the man in a week.” Hamilton made a disgusted face and added, “I’ve had more contact with John Adams than I have John Laurens.” Eliza giggled and Hamilton’s expression melted into a smile. He saw something irresistible in her eyes that made him want to kiss her, so he did just that.

He leaned forward and tilted her face towards his. Their lips met like it was the first time, but better. Eliza brought her hands up and grabbed fistfuls of his hair while opening her mouth for his tongue to explore already mapped territory. The hand that was on her chin brushed along her cheek as it moved to cup the back of her neck. His hand that had been clasped together with hers moments ago moved to rest on the small of her back.

That was how Angelica found them. She cleared her throat and the couple broke apart to look at her. Eliza gave almost a shy smile, “Do you want to kiss him?” She invited.

“Later.” Angelica’s voice was crisp, “Lafayette called me. Did you _ditch_ them?” Hamilton adopted an almost frightened look.

“Okay, yes but I had a good reason.” He brought his hands up in surrender while he said this and Angelica moved further into the room.

“I’m listening.” Her voice was cold, but her eyes sparkled with laughter.

“We’re rescheduling the wedding.” This stopped Angelica in her tracks. She looked shocked for a minute, then she took on a look of unadulterated confusion.

“Why?”  

It was Eliza who answered her, “We feel that it’s too soon to get married.” Angelica looked at her then back at him.

“So when _is_ the wedding?” She brought her hands to her hips. Alexander and Eliza exchanged a look and once more it was her who answered.

“We don’t know. There might not even be a wedding.”

“ _What?”_

“ _Eliza.”_ Alex grabbed her hand and she looked at him apologetically.

“I can’t hide anything from her.” She turned back to her sister, “Alex might be in love with someone else so he’s going to test it out by spending a day with just them.”

“Who?” Angelica sounded a bit more calm now. If Eliza isn’t upset then there’s no real reason for her to be.

“Laurens.” Alex answered. Angelica nodded, suddenly very understanding. If he had said anyone other than Laurens then she would have gotten upset again. She walked over and sat down on the couch, looking fatigued. A lot is happening very fast.

“Well, whatever you do, I’ll support you.” She told him, grabbing one of his hands. He grinned and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“I know.” He told her. She smiled at him and he took that as an invitation to kiss her again. Eliza watched the two people she cared about go into a full blown make-out session with an excited look in her eyes. She loved it when they loved each other.

And who else but Angelica could be mad at you one moment and love you the next? Within reason, of course.

Eliza picked back up her nail polish and pressed play on the movie Alex had paused. She continued to paint her nails while her sister shifted herself to straddle her boyfriend’s lap. Her only concern was if they knocked over the nail polish. That would be a terrible stain to leave on the couch, very difficult to take out. Eliza stared at the open container of nail polish warily. There was a beat of stillness then Eliza grabbed the nail polish and sat down on the floor instead.

The two lovebirds had at one point shifted again to lay down, Angelica slightly on top of Alex, and they both drifted off into a light nap.

Laurens came home first, with Mulligan, who greeted Eliza with a bear hug. Lafayette came home an hour later, and Laurens got started on cooking dinner.

“Hey Laf, can I paint your nails?” Eliza asked quietly after putting in a new movie. Lafayette thought about it then nodded.

“Yeah.” They sat down by her side and she turned so she could face them. Mulligan sat on her other side and watched. She decided to paint Lafayette’s nails the same color she painted her toenails. Eventually Laurens joined them and they made this small semicircle in front of the couch.

As she was painting Lafayette’s fingernails she was talking, “We’ve decided to reschedule the wedding.” The men didn’t get as upset as Angelica had.

“Why?” Laurens asked her, taking a sip of one of Angelica’s Root Beers.

“Alexander wants to be sure of something. So tomorrow, Laf, Ange, Mulligan, and myself are going to spend a day out in the town. It’s supposed to be nice and warm.”

“Can I wear one of your dresses?” Was the only question Lafayette had. Eliza nodded in affirmation.

“What am I going to do?” Laurens realized that he was the one who had been left out of that plan.

“Well, you’re going to have sex with Alex, and _hopefully_ talk to him. You’ll have the whole house to yourselves.”

“I don’t want to walk in on them again.” Lafayette announced while making a face. Eliza finished with one hand and blew on their nails to dry them quicker. She then moved on to their other hand.

“You didn’t have to stay and watch.” Laurens told them with a roll of his eyes as she was doing this. Lafayette laughed.

“What else was I going to do? Two _incredibly_ attractive men going at it like animals.”

“We were not ‘going at it like animals.’” Laurens mimicked Lafayette’s accent, “You and Washington have done way worse.”

“At least we have the dignity to admit that we were akin to animals.” Lafayette looked at him with an almost haughty look in his eyes. Mulligan watched this exchange with growing amusement until eventually he bellowed out laughter, causing Eliza to start laughing as well.

“It’s never a dull moment here, huh?” He asked her.

Eliza agreed, her dark eyes dancing, “I’m certainly never bored.” She felt a hand brush through her hair and glanced up, smiling when she saw that Alex had woken up. He was looking at Mulligan.

“Do you ever go to your _own_ house?” He asked, looking incredulous. This was the fourth time he had woken up to see the tailor here. The group of lovers all started laughing once more, waking up Angelica. It was at this moment that the oven timer beeped, causing Laurens to go and continue dinner. Everyone’s eyes followed him out, all looked at his ass.

Once they realized that they had all done that laughter once more filled the house. Eliza quickly finished Lafayette’s hands and moved to do Angelica’s. Hamilton slid off the couch, joining the others in the floor.

As Eliza, Angelica, and Lafayette talked about girl things Hamilton had his own quiet conversation with Mulligan.

“You know, you’re always free to move in.”

“I’ll move in when you get more space.” Mulligan answered him, and Hamilton cast his gaze about his house once more. That’s true, he should probably look into buying a new house. A larger one, one where as many people who wanted to could live.

That would be a thought for another time, there was no immediate pressure for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little moments when they're all just hanging out is the best.  
> Who do you think Alexander is going to decide to marry?


	17. The One with Lams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reason for the rating.

God bless Angelica Schuyler. That woman is a force of nature. She knows what she wants and she makes a plan to get there. Before leaving, she wrote a to-do list for the boys. That way the two won’t waste the day in bed like they normally do while not at work. As Alex read through the list, Laurens texted the mystery person.

Some of the list was chores, which was understandable. The moment Alex starts making the women do all of the work around the house is the same moment that Angelica leaves him. Laurens got another text message, only this one he showed to Alex.

It’s a selfie with Eliza and Lafayette, both of them looking absolutely gorgeous. Angelica was in the background looking at a magazine and wearing sunglasses. The picture made Hamilton smile.

Looking back at the list he noticed that the part that weren’t chores was all things that had to do with sex. Nice Angelica. Very subtle. Alex wordlessly handed the list to his boyfriend then set about straightening up the kitchen as the girl requested. John joined him and in half an hour they completed that part of the list, leaving them with one task left to do.

Laurens took some pictures of the clean rooms and sent them to Angelica. Afterwards he promptly turned off his phone and all but dragged a very excited Hamilton back to the bedroom.

The two were quick to remove their clothing. They hadn’t made love in what felt like ages. Once completely naked, Laurens moved to kiss Alex but the latter stopped him with a palm pressed flat against his chest. He back away a few paces and just looked.

“Uh… what are you doing?” Laurens looked at him impatiently. Alex raked his gaze down the other’s _incredibly_ toned body and clicked his tongue.

“I want to look at you for a minute.” He informed. His eyes moved over every inch of already explored territory, but of course they had all day. He planned to take up as much time as possible.

Simply imagining the things that he was going to do with this perfect adonis was enough to get him to half mast. Laurens seemed to follow Alex’s lead because he also began to harden. They hadn’t even began touching yet.

After several minutes of just looking and imagining the two, Alex wasn’t sure who started it, began to gravitate towards each other.

Laurens brought his hands up and entangled his fingers roughly in Alex’s hair. Alex immediately went for his lips in an open mouthed kiss, and when his boyfriend shoved his tongue into his mouth he began to suck on it. He reached one hand up and took out the hair band that Laurens used to keep his hair up, and the other hand to cup one of John’s cheeks and pull it towards him, pressing their hips flush against each other. He pulled away from the other man’s tongue so the two could catch their breath. They didn’t pull all the way back, and instead stayed so close to one another that Alex could breath in John’s air, almost making him feel dizzy.      

He brushed his lips against the other’s before he began peppering kisses along John’s jaw and down the curve of his neck. While doing this he rolled his hips against the other, creating a delicious friction and causing John’s breath to hitch.

This continued only until Laurens was ready to be the one in control, and he gently pushed Alex down onto the bed. He knelt in front of him as he decided what to do next. Alex’s dark eyes invited him to do anything he wanted, anything at all.

John began at Alex’s foot, and he began pressing wet kisses up his leg. Alex begins to shiver as he feels his lover get closer and closer to his cock. And when John reached the now fully hard dick he paused and looked up into Alex’s face. Alex swallowed as he felt his boyfriend’s warm breath ghosting over the organ. Then, all of a sudden, Laurens stood up and disappeared into the bathroom. He returned with a bottle of lube, seeming to get an idea.

He settled down once more in front of Alex’s cock, glanced into the other’s eyes lovingly, the took the whole thing into his mouth in one go, causing Alex to cry out in pleasure. Simultaneously Laurens slicked his fingers up with the lube that he had retrieved and was pressing them against Alex’s entrance.

As he hollowed out his cheeks creating a tighter chasm for for the other’s cock, he pressed one finger in. The feeling was slightly uncomfortable, they haven’t done this for awhile, and also intoxicating, especially when Laurens began to hum.

As Alex shuddered he pressed a second finger in, and began to scissor him open. He pulled off the dick with a wet sounding _pop_ and opted to lick the underside of it. Alex squirmed under him from the double stimulation, and breathed out a huff when Laurens added a third finger.  

He pressed a kiss to the tip of Alex’s cock and flicked his tongue over the slit before once more taking him in his entirety in his mouth.

The pain from the third finger had melted into pleasure and Alex whispered, “Fuck.” When Laurens determined that he had prepared his lover well enough he pulled his fingers out and released the other’s dick from his mouth, causing Alex to whine.

He smirked slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Alex’s lips, lining himself up with the other’s entrance. He took the other’s hands in his own and laced his fingers through them, pinning them above Alex’s head, as he did this he began to slowly push himself in, feeling a pang of guilt for the tears that had begun to gather at the corners of Alex’s eyes from the pain.

He kissed them away then bent forward to mumble praises for his amazing boyfriend. He told him all about how beautiful and stunning and _brilliant_ he was. His whispered praises into the other man’s ear was what Alex focused on as his body attempted to adjust.

He gave John’s hand a squeeze when he felt okay enough for the other man to move. At first John slowly rocked his hips, trying to be as gentle as possible, but at Alex’s frustrated whine he angled himself better and began to pump himself in harder and faster. He dug his fingers into Alex’s his and the other man gasped.

He must have found the perfect spot because all of a sudden Alex began whimpering, “Oh fuck, oh, Jesus, fuck yes, there, just like that, fucking Christ.” Laurens complied with his wishes and began nailing that spot with everything he had, causing Alex to scream his name.

He felt himself nearing his completion so he brought one of his hands that had been pinning Alex’s hands up and began to slowly pump the other’s cock, not wanting to be the first to finish.

As Alex got closer and closer to his climax he got louder, chanting his lover’s name along with a string of curse words. Laurens grunted, “Oh fuck, _Alex_.” Into his lover’s ear, forcing Alex into his climax. He arched his back slightly as he came, and brought his hands down from where Laurens had had them pinned up to rake his nails across his back.

John felt the familiar pressure building in the pits of his stomach and a white light blinded his vision as he pumped his seed into the other with quick jerky movements.

He rolled out of his boyfriend lazily and laid down next to him. Alex pressed his head into the other’s shoulder and hummed in content, both too tired to clean up the mess they made.

The post sex silence was broken by Laurens puffing out a breath of air and saying, “Look. We should talk.” Alex hummed once more and snuggled closer into his lover’s chest. He didn’t see why this bliss needed to be broken.

When Alex made no move to respond further Laurens said, “ _Alexander._ ” The smaller man opened his eyes and looked his almost distressed looking boyfriend.

He quickly sat up, “What’s up? Why do we need to talk.” Laurens hesitated but joined him in his sitting stage.

He glanced to the side and ran a hand through his hair while saying, “Eliza has been bugging me to talk to you about this for awhile now.” Alex nodded, motioning for him to continue, “It’s about…” He paused then looked determined, “It’s about who my favorite is.”

“You have a favorite?” Alex was shocked. Laurens never mentioned himself having a favorite before.

The man nodded and rolled his eyes, “It’s you, Alex. Who else would it be?”

There was a beat of silence then, “Me?” Came Alex’s small voice. He never thought that he could be anyone’s favorite.

He opened his mouth to say it back, to tell this man that he was his favorite, but the words didn’t come. It’s like they got stuck in his throat and refused to come out as the only thing that popped into Alex’s mind was Eliza’s smiling face.

Laurens tilted his head slightly, “Alex?” He checked. Alex didn’t realize that he had begun crying until his lover leaned forward and kissed away some of his tears, embracing him as he silently sobbed.

“I’m sorry.” Alex gasped out, “I thought th-that you were my favorite too, but all I picture is Eliza.” Laurens laughed softly.

“I know. Alex, you’re not supposed to marry me. Eliza is the perfect one for you, and you know it too. I think you just missed me.” He told him gently. By now Alex had stopped crying.

He pulled away and nodded, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. After a minute of this he said, “I need to marry her, huh? And… I should maybe apologize.”

“Yeah, I think that’s the way to go.” Laurens patted his shoulder then laid back down on the bed, “But, just so you know, it doesn’t matter to me if I’m not your favorite. You’ll probably always be mine… Unless this _really_ hot chick comes along and basically begs us to let her join. Then she’ll be my favorite.” Alex rolled his eyes and rested his head on his lover’s shoulder once more.

“Yeah. I’m sure _that’ll_ happen.” He mumbled sarcastically. Laurens huffed out a short bark of laughter and Alex muttered, “I love you. So, so much.”

As he fell asleep he heard his boyfriend say, “I know. I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laurens didn't really talk about what he was supposed to but at least he got *something* accomplished.


	18. The One where the Girls Come Home

Eliza found them lying in each other's arms when she came home. Alex was asleep and resting with his head near John’s shoulder and his hand on John’s chest. Lauren’s had one hand around Alex and the other one holding his phone as he read something. There was a half eaten sandwich on the bedside table, meaning that at some point one of them had gotten up to get food, probably John, because Alex doesn’t eat as much as the average human. That was something that the five of them were attempting to change. Laurens glanced up from his phone when she entered the room.

“Is he asleep?” Eliza whispered. Laurens nodded in confirmation.

Eliza glanced back and forth between the two then asked, “Did you talk?” She got a sinking feeling in her stomach at Laurens’ guilty look.

“Eliza, I couldn't-” he was cut off when Hamilton began stirring. The man is a pretty light sleeper. 

“You're home.” He cooed drowsily. Eliza lost the bad feeling almost instantly and rushed forward to be next to him. She sat down on his side of the bed and he maneuvered himself so he was laying with his head in her lap. 

“Did you have a nice day?” She inquired softly. Her boyfriend nodded and sighed in content, threading his fingers through John's. 

“Did you?” Laurens addressed her. Eliza grinned.

“Well, I learned that Lafayette is prettier than I am.” She said positively.

“Lafayette is prettier than  _ everyone _ .” Alex mumbled. 

“Are they in the living room?” Laurens checked. 

Eliza shook her head and clarified, “No, Mulligan wanted to check out Angelica's motorcycle so they're in the garage.” 

There was a moment of silence broken only by Hamilton saying, “Oh yeah we’re getting married.”

“Who's getting married?” Eliza checked gently, feeling a rush of anxiety. She would try and be happy no matter the response, but if Laurens didn’t talk to Alex about what he was supposed to... 

“Me and you.” Alex mumbled, somehow managing to say it like it was obvious despite still being half-asleep. 

Laurens smiled at Eliza and she felt her heart skip a beat. She knew that she had acted fine with not getting married, and honestly if it was for their happiness she would sacrifice her own, but really she was overjoyed by the fact that she would be able to marry the man she loves. 

“When?” She asked as she began running her fingers through his hair. 

“I don't know.” Well, at least there will still be a wedding. Hamilton raised up his hand that wasn't holding Laurens and patted Eliza's cheek, before moving his hand around to grope her face. 

She stared at him with a confused but amused expression and he opened his eyes, a slow grin stretching across his face. She wondered what was going on in his mind.

“I wonder if Angelica will let me ride her bike.” Was what he said. She didn’t know what she expected. Eliza shook her head and got out from under his head. 

“Go ask her. I want some bonding time with Laurens.” Hamilton stared at her blankly and she added, “Alone.” He shrugged and got up and Eliza quickly averted her gaze as she realized that he wasn't wearing any clothing. 

He began to exit the room but Eliza called after him, “At least put on pants.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the floor. He swiftly slid them on, opting to not put on any underwear, and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

Eliza folded her arms and glared at Laurens accusingly. He looked appropriately shamed. 

“The longer you wait, the worse the outcome is going to be.” She told him coldly, well as coldly as Eliza could talk to someone she cared about. 

Laurens sighed and leaned back on the bed, “I know, and I'll tell him soon. I just… I didn't want to ruin his happiness with bad news.”

“Alex is a lawyer.” She informed. Laurens didn't look surprised. Of course he didn’t, he’s been with him for a very long time.

“Yeah.” He confirmed, “He and Burr never lost a case. They were incredible. Then when Alex became the Treasury Secretary, they broke off and Burr did his own thing. They haven't lawyered together in several years.”

“Why didn't you get them to get you out of your marriage? Surely two lawyers who never lost a case would be able to get you out of the marriage without any damage coming to you.” She argued logically. 

“That would require telling Alex that I'm married, as well as telling him about my kid.” He answered, sounding fatigued. 

“You're telling him anyway, wouldn't it have been easier to just tell him early on in your relationship?” Laurens frowned. 

“Well, I didn't. And now we're stuck in this situation.” He responded. The two nearly glared at each other before Eliza lost any malice and sat down on the bed with a huff. She just didn't want to see Alex hurt. That doesn’t seem like it would feel good to her, so maybe she was being a little overprotective. After all, Laurens had known Alex longer, maybe the situation was more in control than she thought.

Laurens sat up and scooted back on the bed until his back was against the the headboard, the blankets pooling around his hips, reminding Eliza that he also didn't have any clothes on. She glanced awkwardly away before getting an idea, and moved to sit right by his side and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and the two sat in silence. 

Eliza was drifting off to sleep when he broke the silence, “Eliza, I think there's something else that we should talk about, while we're alone and Alex can't influence our decision.” Well that certainly got her attention. 

“Oh, uh.. okay. What do we need to discuss?” She lifted her head slightly to look into his warm eyes. 

“I'm not sure… that you and I should be  _ together. _ ” He spoke slowly. 

Eliza was at a loss, “What do you mean?” 

“Well, you and I work best not as a… couple. But instead like friends.” He explained. Eliza frowned and searched his gaze for any hint that he might be kidding, but stopping to think about it, that makes a lot of sense. 

Alex's two favorite people, just friends. Of course they'd both still be in the relationship, but for Alex. Alex is the reason everyone who's with them is with them. The whole thing makes no sense without him, so  _ technically _ it changes nothing if Eliza and Laurens are just friends. The two of them never did anything overly couple-y, so the others in the relationship wouldn’t really be able to tell the difference. Also… if it makes Laurens more comfortable that way, then what reason does she have to refuse?

“Okay.” She agreed, her mind made up, “I think that that would be best.” He smiled softly and her and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. Eliza placed her head back in it's spot on his shoulder. 

“But… best friends, right?” She checked after several minutes of him stroking her hair.

Laurens chuckled, “Of course. I thought you already knew that you're my best friend.” Eliza smiled as he continued, “After all, you know all of my secrets. More than even Alex knows.” That's true. Huh, so they were best friends before they made the choice to be best friends. Best friends who care about the same man  _ so much. _

This could get very fun, more fun than if they were dating. Plenty of just friend mischief to get into. Eliza was already beginning to get excited by all of the possibilities. 

Angelica chose that moment to come into the room, took one look at them, clearly noticed that Laurens is still naked, and grabbed a shirt from Alex's part of the dresser.

“ _ Someone  _ wants to ride the motorcycle but also happens to be half naked.” She explained briefly as she left the room, not closing the door. 

Quickly replacing her was Lafayette, still looking absolutely gorgeous. Laurens trailed his eyes down their body and he winked at Eliza. Lafayette caught this and blew a kiss, opting to sit next to the girl, also noticing that Laurens isn't wearing any clothing. 

Eliza pulled the blanket up his hips so a little more could be left to the imagination, even though everyone has seen him naked at least once.

“George called me.” Lafayette informed them, “Apparently, tomorrow is supposed to be very hot, despite the fact that winter is transitioning to spring. He and Martha are inviting us over for a beach date.” Laurens took out his phone again to check the forecast for the week.

“Date?” Eliza asked, tilting her head. She didn’t remember the Washingtons joining them… but Alex could have added them without her knowing. He’s the type to do that sort of thing.

Laurens quickly said, “Not date. Day at the beach. Together. Not as a couple.” 

“Oh. Okay.” Eliza nodded, that made more sense. She missed the shared look of relief between Lafayette and Laurens. 

Angelica rejoined them and sat down next to Laurens. 

“Today’s not even over yet and it’s still been a long day.” She complained.

“Oh hush. You had fun today too.” Eliza responded, giving her sister a light smack on the arm. Angelica rolled her eyes but smiled, that’s true. She did have fun today. 

“So what did you and Alexander decide?” Lafayette asked Laurens. The man frowned as he tried to think about what Lafayette meant. What did they decide? Not a whole lot… mostly they just  _ oh _ . The wedding. Right.

“Alex and Eliza are gonna get married.” He informed. Angelica’s smile turned victorious.

“Good. I hoped that he would pick you.” She claimed. Laurens feigned offence and Angelica looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “She’s my sister. If my boyfriend is going to marry someone other than me, it should be my sister.”

“I think you’re the only sister who feels that way.” Lafayette decided. Angelica shrugged, not in the least bit concerned. So what if she loves her sister enough to sacrifice her own happiness. Is that really a bad thing? 

Eliza snapped her fingers and said, as though it just occurred to her, “The Washingtons have invited us over for a beach date.”

“Date?” Angelica had the same confusion that Eliza had.

“Day at the beach together but not as a couple.” Eliza quoted. 

Angelica nodded and said, “I think I’m free tomorrow. Is it going to be warm enough to swim?” 

“It’s supposed to be at a record high.” Laurens told her, showing her the forecast on his phone. Summer weather in winter/spring… weird. Angelica took the phone and began playing with it. Laurens turned his attention to Lafayette.

“Hey, isn’t that dress uncomfortable?” He checked. Lafayette gave him an odd look.

“Why would you think that?” He sounded defensive, almost as though he had people criticize his choice of clothing in the past.

“Because like… last week I think it was… Eliza was complaining that the zipper for that dress was in a weird place and it dug into her skin in  _ the worst  _ ways.” He explained. Eliza and Lafayette looked at him like he’d grown a second head.

“You… listen to me? And remember?” She was genuinely in awe. If he hadn’t just told her that he wanted to be just her friend she would have kissed him. 

“You remember the dress?” Lafayette was also in awe, there are two similar dresses in the closet and Laurens doesn’t pay much attention to fashion.

“You’re married?” Angelica was in awe of something  _ else. _ Eliza’s expression instantly dropped and Lafayette looked shook.

“You looked through my phone.” He didn’t phrase that as a question, simply stated it. 

“Of course I did. You gave it to me. If you have a secret like this you shouldn’t hand your phone to your girlfriend.” Angelica answered, then asked, “Does Alex know?” 

“I know.” Eliza said quickly, “So we don’t need to tell Alex. Laurens will tell Alex.” 

“Alex doesn’t know?” Lafayette was still in shock. He’s known the man just as long as Hamilton has, and he’s not in love with him. Oh… poor Alex. 

“He will. I’ll tell him soon, just not yet.” Laurens reasoned. Angelica scowled, her eyes growing cold, she doesn’t like it when secrets like this are kept. The longer this stays a secret, the worse the outcome will be.

“If you don’t tell him tomorrow. I will.” Angelica snapped, moving off the bed to be away from him, “And I’m not my sister. I’m not as  _ nice. _ The only reason you’re still here is because you told Eliza. As much as you deny it, this qualified as  _ cheating. _ Alex finds out tomorrow. Either from you, or me.” With that she stormed out of the room, effectively pissed. 

“Well fuck.” Laurens muttered, getting out of the bed and putting on some clothes. He left after her, probably to be certain that she doesn’t tell him today. Eliza wasn’t worried about that, Angelica always keeps her promises. 

“What just happened?” Lafayette asked her. Eliza frowned.

“The first heartbreak from this secret. Angelica loves him too.” 

“She does?” He doesn’t seem to be her type.

“She likes people with common sense and respect for women, and as much as she hates to admit it, he did this with the highest respect for all women involved, just with no respect for Alex. She’ll forgive him.” She knows her sister like she knows her own mind, Angelica will get over this. After all, Eliza wasn’t hurt by it in any way. Laurens even told her about it before telling anyone else. That scored some Angelica points.

Well, the lazy time in the comfortable bed is over. Time to face the rest of the day and get ready for whatever comes tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter until Alex finds out. How do you think he'll react?


	19. The One with the Beach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo boy here it comes

“Fuck it’s hot.” Was the first thing out of Hamilton’s mouth as the gang set foot on the beach. It was a pretty long ride in the car, and he tossed Angelica the keys to put in her purse. She drove her motorcycle so there would be enough room in the call for the rest of them. He frowned as he wiped the sweat off his brow and surveyed the area, searching for the perfect spot to set up. His security detail gave them just enough space so that they didn’t feel smothered. 

As he was doing this Eliza jogged over to him and told him, “Angelica and I are going to go get dressed.” He nodded absentmindedly and waved her away. The men had come in their shorts, but Eliza stated that she and Angelica were not going to wear their swimming suits on the way to the beach. 

Mulligan stood next to Hamilton and looked around as well, finding a person instead of a spot. Laurens walked forward and stood at Hamilton’s other side. 

“Well if it isn’t Aaron Burr.” He greeted. Alex snapped his gaze over to where Laurens was facing and his expression lit up.

“Mister Burr!” He called, jogging through the sand to stand in front of his old partner.

“Alexander!” Burr called back, just as cheerfully. The two men clasped arms in a sort of hand hug. He glanced behind Hamilton and said, “I see the whole gang is here.” 

Lafayette made a rude gesture with his hand and Laurens quirked an eyebrow. Hamilton rolled his eyes at his friends antics before turning back to his oldest friend, “This is Hercules Mulligan.” 

“We’ve met once before.” Burr greeted as he shook the other man’s hand. Mulligan was glancing back and forth between Lafayette and Laurens and Burr, unsure as to whether or not they actually liked him. He was by no means a quiet sort of person, but he didn’t find anything wrong with the man, whereas the other two seemed not to like him.

“Hey where are we setting up?” Hamilton cut in before Mulligan could return the greeting.

“Are you joining me?” 

“Yeah yeah thanks for inviting me.” Hamilton muttered as he began trudging in the direction Burr came from. The latter sighed and set out after him, wanting to get to his wife before his old partner did; he did not.

“It’s nice to see you again Theo.” Hamilton greeted as he sat down in Burr’s spot. The woman smiled charmingly.

“Hi Alex.” She greeted. Her husband and the rest of Hamilton’s group joined them after greetings were said. No one else sat down, and Burr stared down at Hamilton, wondering briefly where he was going to sit. 

“You ditched us.” Angelica accused, setting down the beach bag and staring at Hamilton with her hands on her hips. Alex looked appropriately guilty, but let his eyes roam over her and Eliza in their swim suits. 

Angelica had on her sunglasses, a black bikini top with a bikini skirt on over the bottom. Eliza had on a sun hat, a blue bikini, and bikini shorts on to match. Just modest enough to allow the mind to wander. Eliza noticed his staring and crossed her arms a little uncomfortably, Angelica noticed as well but was not fazed.

She snapped her fingers in front of his eyes and he blinked twice, “Oh yeah sorry. This is Theodosia. Theo, this is my fiance Eliza and my girlfriend Angelica.” He introduced.

The woman held her hand up to shake, squinting against the sun. While she was shaking Eliza’s hand she asked, “And you’re okay with him dating someone while engaged to you?”

“Oh yes. I encourage it actually.” Eliza responded earnestly. 

Angelica smirked, “Hamilton’s never satisfied.” 

“Dating Burr would satisfy me.” Hamilton flirted, winking at the still standing husband of Theodosia. 

Burr rolled his eyes, “Not this again.”

“Come on…” Hamilton whined, but Burr was already shaking his head. 

“Not gonna happen.” He denied. Eliza watched this with growing excitement and she got an idea. Hamilton noticed this and winked at her, before his eyes flickered to something behind her.

Eliza squealed as hands appeared and covered her eyes, and a very familiar voice cooed, “Guess who.” 

“Martha!” Eliza grinned, and once released she turned and greeted the first lady with a hug. George stood behind her, looking like he would rather not be here. 

“I had to come once I heard you were here. It’s going to be the only day warm enough to swim for a long time.” The woman explained while her slaves set about placing down her and her husband’s stuff, and the secret service made certain that everyone on the beach stayed away from the group with the leaders of the country. That is, the president, first lady, and treasury secretary. 

She must have noticed Eliza staring at the slaves because she asked, “Do you want to use them?” 

Eliza shook her head, “No thank you.” She denied politely, “I feel that John would break up with me if I did.”

“Damn right.” Laurens muttered from where he was hanging back, doing his best to give Angelica space.

“Watch your language when around ladies.” Martha chastised. 

Laurens glared and said, “Oh  _ sorry.  _ Damn straight.” Hamilton snorted and Theo smiled, both familiar with how Laurens gets with his attitude, especially if he doesn’t like someone. If those two get into an argument everyone present knows which side Hamilton would take. Martha must have realized it too because she did nothing more than raise an eyebrow. 

Why get into it with Hamilton when you want to date his fiance? Instead Martha turned her attention to Lafayette. Somewhere in the quarrel her husband had gravitated over to stand next to him, and the two were quietly watching as the slaves finished setting up Martha’s stuff.  

“You haven’t left yet?” Martha asked innocently. Lafayette’s eyes flashed an emotion that she couldn’t quite place and he smiled.

“I’m not leaving.” He swore. 

She simply hummed and sat down on her beach towel, gazing out over the waters. Eliza began to sit her stuff next to Hamilton and Laurens quickly moved over to help her. Hamilton watched the two people he loved more than anything set up the group’s stuff, they even set his stuff down for Burr to sit on on Theo’s other side.

Angelica took this as an opportunity to pull Mulligan into the water, and soon enough Lafayette and Washington joined. Eliza wanted to tan so she stayed up on the shore. Martha was relaxing with a book until she decided to splash about with Angelica as well. With a glance back she convinced Theo to get up and join, causing Aaron to follow. This left Eliza, Alex, and Laurens alone.

“Hey, could you untie my bikini top?” Eliza requested of her fiance.

Alex looked scandalized, “On the  _ beach _ ? I didn’t know you were into that.” He paused and a slow grin stretched across his face, “I’m in.” He reached his hands over to undo her bathing suit and she wiggled away from him. 

As she did this, Eliza lightly smacked his forearm and she said, “I don’t want any tan lines.” 

“Oh right. What was I thinking?” Alex rolled his eyes and pulled her close, undoing the knot. Eliza kept the material to her chest as she laid down on her stomach. The top was one that tied around her neck and behind her back, meaning if she moved her arms the material falls completely away from her.  

As she closed her eyes Laurens cleared his throat. 

“Why aren’t you over with them?” Alex asked his boyfriend, turning to give him his full attention. 

“I need to talk to you. Alone.” Laurens spoke quickly, how he usually spoke when he got nervous.

“Okay, we can go away from Eliza.” Hamilton said, very understanding. He’s dealt with the man’s nerves plenty of times in the past.

“No, she already knows.” Laurens denied immediately. He felt that this would somehow be easier with her here. 

“...So what do you want to talk about?” Hamilton asked when Laurens didn’t start talking. Eliza opened her eyes and was now actively paying attention. 

“Do… do you remember about four weeks ago when you asked me who I was texting?” He began.

Alex nodded, “Yeah. Some Martha chick.” 

“Her name is Martha Manning. Or… at least it was.”

“What’s her name now?” 

“Martha Laurens.” Laurens looked into Hamilton’s eyes and he could see that it hadn’t quite registered in his mind.

“I didn’t know you had siblings.” Hamilton said absentmindedly, he ran his fingers through the sand and raised them gently. Despite his complaining about the weather he actually enjoyed the feeling of hot sand weaving through his fingers. It reminded him of home.

“I don’t.” Laurens said with conviction, hoping his boyfriend would get it.

Hamilton’s brow furrowed and he said, “Then she…” He trailed off, looking up from the sand into John’s eyes. 

“She’s my wife. I’m married Alexander.” The blood drained from Alex’s face. 

He whispered, “You’re cheating on me?” It didn’t sound like a question, even though it was phrased that way.

“No. I told Eliza.” The girl nodded in confirmation.

Hamilton slowly shook his head, “No. Telling Eliza means you’re not cheating on  _ them _ .” He jerked his chin towards the group in the water, who hasn’t seemed to realize that an argument was beginning to form on the land. “You would have had to have gotten married before you met Eliza. That was the only time we were separate. How long have you  _ cheated on me _ ?” 

“I got married about a year after I met you.” 

“You’ve been cheating on me for  _ twelve years.”  _ Utter betrayal crossed Alex’s face and he abruptly stood up, “You didn’t even tell me first. You told Eliza, whom you’ve known for less than a year.” 

“Alex.” Eliza tried, but Hamilton shook his head.

“No. I need to go.” He took off walking further along the beach, and the two stared after him until they could no longer see him. Neither missed the tears that had begun to grow in the corner of his eyes. 

When he was gone from sight they turned back and looked at each other.

“That could have gone better.” Laurens muttered.

“I think that went as well as it was going to. He didn’t break up with you.”

“He left.” Laurens said and put his head on his knees. Eliza sat and and began rubbing soothing motions on his back.

“He’ll come back. Angelica has the keys.” She comforted. Laurens gave a shuddering sigh that showed Eliza that he was crying now, and her heart ached. Alex left, so she couldn’t comfort him. 

Laurens, however, is here, and she was going to do her best to ease his pain. She ignored her breasts hanging out and pulled the man in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and put his head in the crook of her neck. 

“You’re not going to lose him.” Eliza whispered, “I promise. When you tell him the full story he’ll see it your way.” 

“I hurt him.” Laurens voice broke. Eliza didn’t stop rubbing his back. The people in the water seemed to have noticed what was going on the shore because they quickly surrounded the couple and were asking questions like, “Where did Hamilton go?” “What’s wrong?”

Angelica asked, “You told him?” And he nodded. She clicked her tongue then sat down and pulled him close to herself as well. Together the two Schuyler sisters calmed the man down so he could explain to the Washingtons and Burrs what happened. 

To everyone’s surprise, Martha was very sympathetic instead of gloating because she and the man didn’t get along. She ran her finger through his hair and said, “He’ll come back and he’ll forgive you.”

“What kind of contract is the divorce under?” Burr asked, his expression thoughtful.

“I don’t know. All I know is that if I leave her I lose my child.”

“You’re not going to lose anything.” He promised, “I’m taking the case.” 

“Can you do it without a partner?” Angelica checked. 

“I’ll do my best.” 

As Laurens tried to move away from the girl’s hugging him he was very surprised when Eliza pulled him flush against her chest, only now noticing that something didn’t feel quite right.

Glancing down near her towel he saw that she didn’t tie her bikini back on when she moved to comfort him, and was now topless in public. The others noticed this as well. 

“Darling you don’t need to be embarrassed.” Martha encouraged and Eliza blushed.

“I’m not. Just go back into the water and I’ll put it back on.” She told them. Chuckling, the group returned to the game that they were playing in the ocean, and Eliza backed away from Laurens quickly to put back on her top. She was very pleased to notice that his eyes remained up, never once flickering to her breasts. That meant that she was right to place her trust in the man. 

“Are you worried?” Laurens asked abruptly.

“About what?” Eliza questioned as she sat next to him.

“Alex. He just left and we’re a couple states away from home.” 

“No. Alex is a grown man. He’ll come back.” Eliza sounded confident in her answer, “Why don’t we join our partners while we wait?”

“I’m not feeling it, but you can go.” 

“I’m not leaving you.” Her eyes narrowed and Laurens sighed, standing up and holding out his hand to help her up.

“Find I’ll go with you, but the moment I see him coming back I’m returning to the shore.” He grumbled. Eliza grinned victoriously, pleased to see him in a better mood.

“Deal.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter fought me every step of the way. Hope you enjoyed it.  
> Also I'm taking great liberty with being the author of this non-canon compliant not historically accurate story.  
> Hamilton met Laurens when he was 15. Laurens was 16. Laurens got married when he was 17.


	20. The One with Forgiveness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that historical Hamilton had depression.

_ Fuck shit fuck fuck,  _ was the only thought going through Alex’s mind as he stormed down the beach. He ditched his security detail, they were too busy making sure Washington stayed safe to pay too much attention to him. If he allowed himself to start thinking anything other than curse words than he would slide back into his depression, and he didn’t want to do that. Laurens was the one to save him from that, and he’s going to be the one to put him back in.

The ideal scenario in Hamilton’s mind was that Eliza followed him. She could cheer him up. But  _ noo  _ she had to stay behind and comfort Laurens, the one who cheated on him for twelve years! Does she even  _ care _ about him? 

Hamilton was stopped from his quickly deteriorating thoughts by more Secret Service appearing in front of him. He stopped himself and stared at them blankly. He turned to look behind him, saw nothing, then turned to face the men in black, who looked just as surprised to see him, “How the fuck did you do that?” Hamilton spat out.

“Sir, where is your team?” They didn’t answer his question, and instead asked their own. 

“I ditched them. If you’re not here for me, then who’s here?” His fury was slowly starting to fade into curiosity.  

They looked almost like they were debating answering him, before one of them said, “The Vice-President, sir.” 

Without even thinking Hamilton charged forward and invaded the little party that was going on behind the men. Adams was in the middle of it all, laying down on a beach towel, and looking very surprised to see him. Madison was also here, but looked significantly less surprised to see him.

“Hamilton if you’re here to hit me again, go away.” John Adams told him, his surprise melting into disdain. Hamilton matched the man’s emotion but sat down anyway, nodding pleasantly to Abigail. 

“I’m not here to hit you again.” Hamilton waved his hand dismissively, “I’m sorry about that by the way.” 

For the second time in the past two minutes John Adams was shocked by something that Hamilton did. Hamilton  _ never  _ apologizes, for any reason. Unless….

“Trouble in paradise?” Adams sounded sympathetic, but his eyes laughed at Hamilton. They may act civil towards one another, but the hate is mutual. 

Hamilton scowled, “What do you mean?”

“The only other time you apologized to me is when Kitty broke up with you. Did you already lose Eliza?” Adams had propped himself up on his elbow and was staring at the Treasury Secretary, his sunglasses up on his forehead. 

“I still have Eliza.” Hamilton sneered her name. He didn’t like it when Adams talked about her. Her name is tainted just a little bit more each time he said it. 

“Then you lost someone else in your weird twisted family.” Adams hummed as he thought about it, the sound making Hamilton want to vomit, “Did Lafayette go back to France already?” Madison’s phone rang and he excused himself, stood up, then left the inner circle. He stayed just close enough that he could listen in. 

“Lafayette’s not going back to France. Ever.” Hamilton answered, not understanding why he stuck around, but feeling like he had something to prove. 

“Angelica then? She realized you’re a terrible little man with problems too deep for anyone to really understand.” He also hated it when Adams said Angelica’s name.

“She already knew all that.” Alex kept his head up high. Unfortunately, this meant that Adams understood who it was who hurt him.

“John Laurens then.” Hamilton tried to keep himself from flinching, but failed. Adams laughed in delight, “So the bastard lost his  _ boyfriend. _ Did he find someone new? Someone  _ better _ than you?” At Hamilton’s silence the man knew that he guessed right, “That’s not hard though. It’s very easy to upgrade after you. I honestly don’t know why he stayed with you this long.” 

Hamilton stood up and stormed off, not wanting to hear things that he already knew. He heard someone following him and turned around, not expecting to see James Madison with his phone in his hand. 

“What?” Hamilton snapped, “Ready to make fun of me as well? Did you give up your phone call to join in the fun?” He whirled around and continued marching, going further away from his own group. 

“No, the phone’s on speaker. I just wanted to talk with you.” The man answered calmly. 

“What about?” Alex wasn’t in the mood to be comforted by his sometimes enemy sometimes friend. 

“The constitution.” That was not the answer that Hamilton was expecting, and he stopped moving.

“Why?” Now he was genuinely confused. 

“I have an idea on how to get it more popularity, and with your writing ability I feel that it would actually work.” Okay, now he’s interested.

Hamilton turned around to face the man once more, “I’m listening.” His voice lost all hostility. This, he could think about. 

“A series of twenty-five essays published anonymously defending the new United States constitution, the work divided evenly among however many men we can get to do this.” That could work.

“We could title it the Federalist Papers.” Hamilton suggested, his mind beginning to move once more. 

“Do you have any friends who might be able to help?” Hamilton absent-mindedly grabbed Madison’s arm and began walking back towards his own group. As he did this he was talking, partly to himself, partly to the other man.

“I’ll try to ask Burr, after all, he’s a better lawyer than me. I don’t think he’ll say yes though because he has no strong opinions whatsoever. We should also ask John Jay, I’m sure that he’ll have quite a bit to say about this. I’m assuming that you’re going to be working on it too. Together we should be able to do it in… six months?” He rambled until he got back to his camp, and watched for just a moment as his lovers continued their game in the water. 

After four or five minutes of no one noticing him there he put two fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle, catching everyone's attention. What happened next could be considered comical. At once everyone moved as quickly as they could from to water to race to Hamilton, which was difficult in the water, so they tripped quite a few times. Angelica was the first one to reach him and she wrapped him in a tight hug, which was slightly uncomfortable because she was cold and wet. It got even more uncomfortable when the rest of them joined and hugged Hamilton, save for Burr, the Washingtons, and John Laurens. 

When they pulled back so Hamilton could breathe he immediately turned to Burr, “Here's the plan. Me and some other people are going to write a series of essays defending the Constitution,” before Hamilton could finish Burr was shaking his head.

“No way.” At Hamilton's protests he simply told him, “I'm not risking myself.”

Hamilton scowled but turned back to Madison, “So that leaves me, you, and John Jay.” 

“How many essays?” Eliza wanted to know.

Madison answered her, “Twenty-five.” 

“...Twenty five doesn't divide evenly among three people. You'd need five people to make that work.” Angelica spoke up, looking at Hamilton a little judgmentally.

Hamilton rolled his eyes, “I'll write seven, the other two will write six each.” That was fair. After all, Hamilton loves to write. 

Madison turned his phone off of speaker and put it on his ear, saying, “Does that sound good to you?” A pause as the other person spoke, “When are you coming home?” Now Hamilton was curious to know who he's talking to. He understood at the next thing that Madison said, “So will you be finishing the Declaration in France?” Angelica's hand darted out to grab the phone, but Lafayette stopped her. Madison watched this with weary eyes and began to wander back to his own friends, not seeing any reason to stay.

Eliza was the first person to say something, “Alex, my love.” He turned to look at her, and her expression was very caring, “Talk to your boyfriend.” 

“Lafayette?” What would he need to talk to Laf about? Eliza shook her head and Hamilton understood.

“No.” He denied. Eliza's expression turned harder.

“You don't have a choice. We will lock you two in a room together if you don't talk on your free will.” She threatened, “We’ll give you space just… keep an open mind.” Yeah, an open mind. Hamilton didn't see any other way to look at this, but he really didn't want to be confined to a room when there's so much to write, so he figured they might as well get this breakup out of the way here. 

When Eliza ushered everyone away, further along down the beach, Hamilton turned to Laurens, his expression cold. His heart melted when he saw the expression of guilt and hurt on the other man's face and he knew instantly that they weren't going to break up. He loved him  _ so much.  _

“Well?” Hamilton's voice betrayed his inner feelings, and Laurens took a couple of steps towards him, his expression turning a little bit more hopeful.

“I can explain.” He began. Hamilton motioned for him to explain, “When I met you, I was single and very…  _ pressured _ into being straight. My father was not tolerant at all, but when I met you and became your friend I no longer cared. A year later, when we were already together and you had recently met Kitty, I was jealous. You were polyamorous and I wasn't, well I didn't think I was. So I hooked up with a wealthy girl named Martha and got her pregnant.

Martha convinced me to marry her, telling me that her family's reputation would be ruined if I didn't and that she would accuse me of raping her, which would inevitably hurt  _ you. _ So I went along with her. She knew about you and swore that she would never talk to you. She kept that promise.

When our child was born she made me spend more time with him than she did. So much time that I became attached. After several years of that she told me that I could divorce her, and that she had been sleeping with someone else while I had been stuck with the kid. The only problem would be that I lose all contact with my son, leaving me with nothing.”

“You have me.” Hamilton said simply. Tears began to form in John's eyes and the other man nodded.

“Yes. Yes I do, so I don't need my son.” Tears were falling freely now and Hamilton rushed forward and wrapped him up in a hug.

He just whispered, “You should have told me.”

“I'll get a divorce. Burr will be my lawyer. I don't need anyone else if I can have you.” Laurens was mumbling while Hamilton shushed him.

“You're not losing your son. She’ll lose your son.” Hamilton said, and that shut his boyfriend up. He absentmindedly wiped a tear from Hamilton's own eye and he hadn't realized that he was also crying. 

“What do you mean? The contract-”

“Contracts can be broken. Besides,” he smiled warmly, “ _ you _ have the best lawyer team.”

“I do?” Hamilton nodded.

“If your life hadn't gone to shit because of teenage me's poor communication then I wouldn't help you out, but together Burr and I happen to be unbeatable.”

“You'll help me?”

“Of course. I fucking love you.” Hamilton rolled his eyes like it was obvious. At Laurens’ relieved smile Hamilton felt the urge to kiss the other man, so he did. 

He heard a squeal and felt arms wrap around him and Laurens. They broke apart and both laughed when they saw Eliza grinning at them.

“This is exactly what I wanted!” She cheered. Hamilton eyed her with a happy look.

“You planned this?” He checked. She nodded and winked conspiratorially. 

“I can be just as sneaky as Angelica. You can't live with her for twenty years without picking up some tricks.” Eliza answered and released the two from her hug.

“Is there anything else that I should know?” Hamilton asked, looking between the two of them, and didn't like how they shared a look. 

“Well, it's not really important information…” Eliza began.

Laurens continued for her, “But it might get weird later on if you don't know.”

“What?” Now he was more than a little concerned.

“Now we love you very much okay, and our decision about this is not reflective on you.” Eliza told him, her eyes dancing with laughter. Now he was more confused than concerned, it sounded like they were his parents trying to tell him that they were getting a divorce.

“Your mother and I have decided,” Laurens stopped himself, “Wait wrong talk.” Eliza couldn't hold in her laughter at that.

“John and I are staying friends.” She explained through her laughter. 

Alex smirked, “You're right. That could have gotten weird.”

“Like if you want a threesome for your birthday or something. We'd need to tell you yes but neither of us would be very… into it.” Laurens explained, also laughing. 

“Who else is just staying friends?” Alex cast his eyes over to his friends and Eliza looked as well.

“Well, to the best of my knowledge, Angelica and I are just friends.” She informed. Laurens laughed harder. 

Hamilton ignored her and thought about it, “Angelica only wants me and Laurens, right?” 

“I'm sure she’ll want any other smart attractive man who joins us.” Eliza told him, almost seriously. 

“Probably not Burr though.” Laurens joined in. Hamilton nodded before giving his boyfriend a strange look.

“Burr's not joining us.” He told him.

“Why not?” Eliza asked. Hamilton opened his mouth to give her the obvious answer, realized there was no obvious answer, closed his mouth, and shrugged.

“Alright, so is Burr our next mission?”

“I'm in.” Laurens said, surprising both Alex and Eliza. He winked at them, “What? Burr's hot.” 

The three all burst into another round of laughter that ended in Eliza pulling Alex into the water. Alex grabbed Laurens’ hand so he could pull him in as well. 

Eventually the rest of the group gravitated towards the trio and they spent the next two hours in the water playing a game that only Alex knew the rules to.

When he won twice in a row Angelica insisted on switching up the teams, making it girls against guys. She called dibs on Lafayette. 

The girls won the rest of the games for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some angst that ends in fluff.  
> 


	21. The One with the Divorce

Eliza sipped at her steaming cup of coffee, still not entirely awake. If she was going to be working together with Alex to get Burr to date them then she would need to go into work with him. Unfortunately, this meant that she had to be awake whenever Alex was because he sometimes just walks over to the unfortunate man’s house at three in the morning. To Burr’s credit, he handles it better than anyone else would, he doesn’t even look surprised.

Pacing in front of her was a very aggravated Hamilton. They were waiting at the coffee house with Burr for Manning and her team to join them, this being the first time Hamilton had ever met Laurens’ wife. Eliza didn’t necessarily need to be here, the lawyers would just be going over the contract, but it’s not that difficult to see why she wouldn’t want to miss this.

Aaron was sitting next to her reading an article on his phone, not nearly as upset as Hamilton. Those two are very different. It’s funny to note, however, that despite their differences they both wore the same expression when Martha walked into the building. At least, they assumed she was Martha, she had two men in suits with her and she walked right over to them, instantly recognizing Hamilton.

She smiled pleasantly as she sat down in the booth across from Eliza, for some reason she opted to talk to her, “Hi. I’m Martha Laurens.” She held out her hand for Eliza to shake. Sleepily, Eliza took the other woman’s hand. The introduction using John’s last name not going unnoticed by Alex, who clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything.

Eliza replied, “Elizabeth Schuyler. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Martha’s smile widened.

Alex slid into the booth next to Eliza and took a sip of her coffee, as he did this he studied the woman married to his Laurens. She was a smaller woman, with large curly hair that was kept tied back in a pony tail. Amusement danced in her warm brown eyes and flecks of gold hid in her gaze. Her face had a slight dusting of freckles, though not as much as John. Alex hated her.

Burr slid into the booth next to Alex, and didn’t seem to make any judgements. His expression stayed cool but polite, knowing very well that this was just to look over the contract and to see if anything could be done before they go into court. After all, no one wanted to waste their time.

The two men who accompanied Martha slid into to booth on her side and began talking to Burr and Alex, ignoring Eliza and Martha completely. After finishing her cup of coffee and forty minutes of lawyer talk the other team handed over the contract. As Burr read over it his fingers drummed on the table. Wordless, he handed the contract to Alex, whose face remained impassive.

Burr addressed Martha, “Is there any way we could convince you to let him out of the contract without penalty?”

The girl thought about it before shaking her head, “This contract assures that if I lose my husband I keep my standing in society.” Burr didn’t look disappointed, almost like he expected that she would say that. Still, it didn’t hurt to ask. He stood up to leave but was stopped when Martha raised a finger and finally turned to look at Alex.

“Actually, I’ll make you a deal.” She leaned forward and crossed her fingers out in front of her.

He frowned at her but said, “I’m listening.”

The woman smirked, “I’d be willing to let John go and to tear up the contract for a trade. See, having a husband is great and all, but nothing compares to having a Schuyler sister.” Alex’s eyes widened as she continued, “I’ll trade you John for Elizabeth.”

“No.” Alex denied immediately.

Martha frowned, “You’re not even going to think about it?”

“No.” He repeated, grabbing Eliza’s hand and sliding out of the booth next to Burr. He turned to the lawyers and said, “Gentlemen, I’ll see you in court.”

As they left the building Alex didn’t drop Eliza’s hand. If anything he held onto it tighter, causing Eliza to wince slightly. She wasn’t going to force him to let her go though, if holding onto her tightly made him feel better than she was fine with it. It didn’t hurt or anything, the pressure was just uncomfortable.

Burr was walking in front of them and opened the car door to let them in, taking his spot as the driver. Neither one spoke on the way home, but Alex did loosen his grip on Eliza’s hand.

Laurens and Angelica were in the living room when they returned, Laurens brushing the girl’s hair and Angelica reading a magazine. They both looked over when the trio returned.

Alex looked at them and said, “Your wife is a bitch.”

Without missing a beat Angelica responded, “She is, isn’t she. Don’t know why I married her.” Laurens snorted and tossed the hair brush onto the couch. Alex rolled his eyes at Angelica and went to hug his boyfriend.

As he did that Eliza went and sat next to her sister, glancing at the magazine that she was reading. It was in French. Speaking of French…

“Where’s Lafayette?” Eliza wondered.

Angelica had gone back to grazing through the articles of French fashion and idly responded, “They went to Mount Vernon with Mulligan. Martha called and she wanted Lafayette to help her prepare some meal for the ladies she’s inviting over for afternoon tea. Afterwards, Laf and Mulligan are going to the movie theater to see that new horror film that came out yesterday.” That was very specific. Angelica continued, “Or something like that.” Shrugging her shoulders.

Alex leaned over her shoulder and peered at the magazine, narrowing his eyes and reading one of the headlines out loud, causing both of the Schuyler sisters to slowly turn around to face him.

There was silence for a moment and then Eliza said, “You can speak French.” It wasn’t a question but Alex nodded anyway.

“You’re fluent in French.” Angelica sounded surprised.

Burr looked back and forth at both of them and Laurens told them, “You two didn’t know that? There are days when Alex will literally roam the house saying nothing but French curse words for hours.”

Angelica ignored his sound logic and demanded, “Read this out loud, in English so I can understand.” Pointing to an article.

Alex did as told, “New designs shipped directly to America in less than ninety days or your money back. Made with fabric that would make even the wealthiest aristocrat green with envy.” He paused as the rest of it was continued on the other page, and stared at Angelica. The girl looked impressed.

Eliza turned to talk to Burr, noticing that he had begun texting, “When is the court date?”

Without looking up Burr responded, “Tomorrow. I need to go, Theodosia wants to have supper with me out of town.” He looked up and nodded to the girls, “Ladies.” He glanced at Alex and Laurens, “Gentlemen. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye.” Eliza called, and Angelica waved. Laurens and Alex didn’t move much nodded back to him.

When he was gone Alex hopped over the couch and landed in the spot between Eliza and Angelica and taking the magazine out of her hands. He continued to read through it, translating the words with practised ease.

“Where did you learn to speak French?” Eliza asked.

Ignoring the question Alex said instead, “I’m confident that I already told you that I’m bilingual. You just forgot.” Turned to face her, his eyes narrowing in accusation.

Angelica returned, “I’m confident that you dreamt that you told us just like you dreamt that you got Laurens pregnant that one time.”

Alex shushed her but it was too late, Laurens frowned at Alex, his brow furrowing as he asked, “You dreamt that you got me pregnant?” For once Alex’s quick wit was lost to him and instead Angelica responded.

“He woke up and was shocked to find you not pregnant the next morning.”

Eliza posed her own question, “But how would he get John pregnant? Alex bottoms like ninety percent of the time.” When the two men turned to look at her she explained, “Every single time that I’ve walked in on you two, Alex was bottoming, with the exception of once. On Alex’s birthday.”

“It only takes one time.” Angelica told her sister sagely.

Laurens interrupted once more, asking Alex, “Alright, but here’s the only thing I need to know; did I make it work? ‘Cause some ladies look like they’re born to get pregnant, like they _glow_. Other pregnant ladies look like they could not have that kid fast enough. Was I still attractive?”

Alex looked like he didn’t want to have this conversation but answered anyway, “You were beautiful.” Laurens nodded, satisfied, and walked into the kitchen, leaving the two ladies to snicker as Alex slumps down on the couch, suddenly feeling very drained.

When Laurens returned it was with a Root Beer. He handed the can to Eliza, picked up the hairbrush, then began brushing _her_ hair this time. Eliza leaned her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling.

Alex shifted so he could lay sideways on the couch, his head in Angelica’s lap and his feet in Eliza’s. He began reading out of the magazine more, and stopped as he got the center article. His face going blank.

“Why’d you stop?” Laurens asked him.

“...That’s Thomas Jefferson.” Alex told him and the other three immediately went to look. Whatever it was was written in French, but they all saw the name. The man in the picture was oozing wealth, and he sported a purple velvet suit. His smile looked charming but his gaze focused on something just to the side of the camera.

“What does it say about him?” Eliza requested. Alex didn’t answer at first, his gaze not moving from the picture.

“Nothing that Lafayette hasn’t already told us.” Alex said, closing the magazine and sitting up. He picked up his phone and began reading a different article out loud, the French magazine completely abandoned.

* * *

 

The courtroom was full, unusually full for a simple divorce case. Of course, normal divorce cases are not held by the treasury secretary and watched by the president. Even John Adams was present, although he and Abigail sat with Martha Washington and didn’t talk to Hamilton.

The case started off as normal, and the other team were shocked to find that Burr not only found a loophole in the contract, but also that he had proof of Martha Laurens cheating on her husband. They tried to counter that by using John’s relationship with Alex, but that was quickly shot down by the evidence of Martha completely consenting to John being with Alex, while he hadn’t wanted her to hold her own affair. The reasons why or fairness of it didn’t matter, it didn’t look good on her part, and it was obvious to all present that it was a toxic relationship.

As it was beginning to look like she would lose everything she brought up the accusation of him raping her to impregnate her with their child.

When asked for proof she was able to provide some, however the proof was countered with evidence from the President himself, who was with Laurens on the night that she claimed it happened. She tried to recover by saying that she mixed up her nights, but by that time it didn’t look good for her.

The entire case lasted roughly two hours, and the judge made the ruling easily. Martha gets custody of the child, but John is allowed to see him whenever he wants. Honestly, Burr and Hamilton could have completely reversed the terms of the contract and left Martha with nothing, but they didn’t have enough space for the kid, and Alex wasn’t a big fan of having children around this early.

Instead, this was the agreement. The child would live with Martha, although John had main custody of him. Martha would not need to pay child support as long as she took care of all of the child’s needs while he was living with her. However, if at any point John wants his son to move in with him, then he can and Martha will start paying for child support.

The group all met up outside and Laurens gave Hamilton a very public kiss to thank him. People who were walking by glanced at Eliza in shock, becoming even more surprised to see that the smile never left her face.

Laurens turned to thank Burr in the same way but Burr held up his hand to stop him, “Kiss your boyfriend.” He said, smiling. Laurens shrugged and gave Alex a second kiss, this one broken by the two being unable to stop laughing.

Laurens is completely free, he’s not married and he’s not required to leave for weeks on time anymore to go home to his wife and child.

Their celebration was broken by the Adams family coming up to them. John held out his hand for Alex to shake, which Alex did, albeit hesitantly.

“I had forgotten that you’re actually talented at something.” The other man said, and Eliza couldn’t tell if he was complimenting Alex or insulting him.

Alex must have took it as the latter because he said, “It’s better than being talented at _nothing_.” The tension between the two men jumped, and it was only broken by James Madison walking up and grabbing Hamilton’s attention.

He told him, “With this over, we should begin writing the Federalist papers.” Hamilton nodded and waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be completely focused on that for the next few weeks. Starting tomorrow.”

Madison nodded in agreement and his driver appeared. Before he could close the door behind him Hamilton asked, “Two years?”

“What’s in two years?” Madison responded, turning to face him.

“The Secretary of State comes home in two years?” That gives his debt plan a very solid deadline.

Madison shook his head, “No. I talking with Thomas this morning. He’s coming home in one year.” As if he could read Alex’s mind he said, “You have one year until your debt plan is due. Good luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I may have accidentally titled all of my chapter like Friends episodes. Somebody save me.


	22. The One Where Alex Almost Dies (From Overworking Himself)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I get that they wrote the papers in like 6 months, but for the sake of time in this chapter they're gonna finish them in two months. Poor Alex needs a nap.  
> I read an unhealthy amount of the Federalist Papers and I'm beginning to rethink my life choices.

Eliza is convinced that Alex is going to die. He never sleeps and he's living off of caffeine. He leaves his office to go to the bathroom and then he takes his computer in there with him so he stays for longer than he needs to. The only person to frequent Alex's office is Lafayette, but only because he needs to make sure that Alex's heart is still beating.

When Burr stops by for a visit Alex pokes his head out of his office, waves, then disappears again. It's not healthy. Eliza wonders when he'll be finished, and how many he's going to write. Things get worse when she gets a certain phone call.

The phone rings for about ten seconds before she picks it up, and the person on the other end of the line asks for Alex. Eliza tells them that Alex isn't available and if they leave a message she’ll get it back to him. They told her the news and she thanked them before hanging up, feeling dread began to pool in her stomach.

She knocked on the door to his office and when he called for to enter she slowly walked in and closed the door behind her, “Alex,” She began, and he gave no motion of having heard her. She continued anyway, “Your friend John Jay got sick, he can’t finish his share of the papers.” This got Alex to look at her, and he looked _tired_.

“How many?” He questioned, running a hand over his face to wipe any sleep off of it.

“Five. You and Madison will need to pick up the slack if you want to fill your quota.” She informed, and he nodded. She hesitated for a moment before asking, “How many have you written so far?”

Alex mumbled, “About forty-three.” Eliza’s eyes widened as she realized two things: Alex wasn’t going to stop anytime soon, and he was going to work himself to death unless they did something about it. It’s been two months and he still needs to finalize his debt plan and finish the papers so they can get published.

Eliza walked forward and kissed her fiance on his forehead before telling him, “You have one more week, then I’m cutting you off.” Alex opened his mouth to argue when Eliza put a finger on his mouth and spoke over him, “You still have a lot of work to do, but if you continue like this you’re going to die. I’ll go visit James Madison and see how many he has done.” Eliza took her finger off of his mouth so he could respond. He licked his lips.

“One week.” Alex repeated, then closed his eyes. Eliza thought that he had fallen asleep when he opened them again and said, “I can do that. Tell Laf to make his visits less frequent. I want to get at least... Fifty written.” Eliza nodded in obedience and left to find someone who could drive her down to Madison’s house.

Fortunately Lafayette had just come home, and he wasn’t doing anything too important, just reading a book on the couch while the tv played some game show. Eliza walked up behind him and leaned forward, placing her hands on his chest. Today was very much a boy day for Lafayette, meaning him/he pronouns.

“Hey Gil, could you do me a favor?” She requested, using the shortened version of one of his names.

The Frenchman looked up from his book and stared into her eyes for a moment before asking, “What?”

“I need a ride to James Madison’s house. I would call him but he’s not answering his phone, for the same reason that Alex isn’t.” She explained. Lafayette nodded, stood up, and stretched. Eliza straightened her back when he was no longer there for her to lean on.

“Is this a matter of life and death?” He checked. When Eliza nodded he grabbed the keys from the table and walked out the door, with Eliza following obediently. On their way out they passed Laurens, Mulligan, and Angelica who were just coming home. Eliza paused to let Angelica know what was going on with Alex before moving to sit in the front seat of the car.

As he was pulling out of the driveway, Lafayette explained, “Madison lives in Virginia, but right now he’s staying in a family house in New York.” When she opened her mouth to ask why he continued, “I don’t know why. I’m not that close to him.”

“Then how do you know?” She could understand how he would know where James Madison lives, after all he’s a very famous politician and he works fairly closely with Alex. It doesn’t make sense as to why he knows where Madison is currently.

“Thomas told me.” Lafayette said shortly, taking his eyes off the road to glance at her for a split second.

There was only one Thomas that he could be talking about, but Eliza didn’t know that they still kept in contact, “You two still talk.”

Lafayette snorted, “Barely. We talk when we need to.” He told her shortly. Eliza could kind of understand that, still she felt like she would need to know if Lafayette were still seeing him. Before she could work up the motivation to ask Lafayette said, “We’re not together anymore.” That made her feel a bit better. She wouldn’t have minded, after all who was she to judge when she has a date with Susan from the mall tomorrow (that Alex knew about), it’s just that she would need to know so it doesn’t constitute as cheating. As were the rules.

The conversation flowed to a peaceful stop after that. Neither felt the need to continue speaking, there really was nothing left to say. It was nice just being together. They don’t get as much time just being together as… say Lafayette and Mulligan. They took only ten minutes to reach his house, with Lafayette speeding of course.

Madison’s New York house was pretty large, not as large as his Virginia house, but large nonetheless. Eliza got out of the car and walked briskly towards the front door. A slave was the one who answered. At least… she assumed it was a slave. The woman was wearing poorer clothes than anything she had ever seen, but she was very clean. She had thick black hair that she kept tied to the back, and she was hardly starving but was thin enough that Eliza would guess that she had maybe one meal a day. The woman stared at Eliza before her dark gaze moved to Lafayette behind her, and turning Eliza saw that the Frenchman was very surprised to see her there.

“Sally…” Lafayette whispered. The woman, Sally, stepped back, letting Eliza and Lafayette enter. She turned and led the way, Eliza assumed, to Madison’s office. Upon stepping into the office Eliza saw Lafayette go to say something to Sally, but the slave bowed respectfully and left. Madison watched this with eyes almost as tired as Alex’s.

Lafayette turned to Madison and he asked, “What’s _she_ doing here?” He sounded almost… angry.

“She’s here because I just finished a skype call with Thomas, and he wanted to see her.” Madison answered calmly. Eliza didn’t really understand why Lafayette was upset, but she didn’t dwell on it. She had slightly more important things to talk about.

Eliza lightly touched Lafayette’s arm before addressing her own issue, “Alex is only allowed to write for one more week before I’m cutting him off.” Madison didn’t look surprised.

He huffed out a sigh and said, “I was told to stop as well. How much does Alex have written?” Before she could answer he added as an afterthought, “I have twenty-seven.”

Eliza remembered, “He said he has about forty-three.”

Madison mouthed the word, “wow.” And Eliza silently agreed. Madison cleared his throat and decided, “We’ll come together this time next week and publish the papers.” Eliza nodded and left him to his own downward spiral, pleased that he was willing to stop this before Alex _died_.

On their way out they passed by Sally again. Wordlessly Lafayette walked over and gave the woman a hug. She didn’t reciprocate but she didn’t pull away. She merely blinked at Eliza, her gaze not leaving the other woman.

As they left the Madison vacation home Eliza got a weird feeling that this would not be the last she’d see of Sally.

* * *

The response to the Federalist papers was overwhelmingly positive. Alex published his share under the alias Publius, but those close to him knew that that was him. After he finally published the papers, he pulled Eliza into the bedroom and slept curled up next to her for a solid fourteen hours. In this time Eliza took it upon herself to read some of the stuff he had written, if only to see what was going on inside his mind.

Eliza has never been overly invested in Hamilton’s political career, but even she felt proud of him when reading over some of these passages. For example, one read, “Europe is at a great distance from us. Her colonies in our vicinity will be likely to continue too much disproportioned in strength to be able to give us any dangerous annoyance. Extensive military establishments cannot, in this position, be necessary to our security.”* Of course, no amount of pride is worth working yourself to death.

Her stomach growled and she pondered when the last time she had eaten was. It must have been when she got up to go to the bathroom and Laurens called her into the kitchen to try a new soup recipe he was trying. That was about two hours ago…

As if reading her mind a knock sounded at the door and Mulligan poked his head in, “We’re going out to eat, do you want anything?”

Yes she did, but first, “What happened to the soup?”

“Lafayette gave Laurens a blow job and Laurens forgot to turn off the stove when he took Laf to a guest room.” Mulligan explained.

Eliza sighed at the extra information and said, “You could have just told me that it burned.” But she wasn’t really upset, it was impossible to truly be mad at Mulligan, he’s way too sweet.

Alex mumbled something from where his face was buried in her chest, and at first she assumed he was talking in his sleep when he turned slightly and said, “Food sounds great right now. When was the last time I ate?”

“Two months ago.” Mulligan and Eliza chorused, both having the same bland tone. Alex opened his eyes and looked at the two people whom he loved so much who looked like they were getting pretty sick of his behavior.

He tried, “Sorry?” And the two burst into laughter. Eliza leaned forward and kissed Hamilton on the forehead before scooting out from under him and out of the bed. She quickly grabbed a dress from the closet and began to change before realizing that she wasn’t alone in the room. Both of the men had their eyes trained on her and she frowned.

“It’s not polite to watch a woman get dressed.” Eliza scolded gently. Hamilton only hummed in confirmation, letting her know that he heard, but did not look away. Neither did Mulligan. Eliza sighed once more and shook her head before going to the adjoining bathroom to finish changing her clothing.

When she returned Hamilton had already gotten up and gotten dressed, and he was tying his shoes when he glanced up, saw her, and smiled; forgetting to finish tying his shoes. Eliza didn’t remind him, figuring that this would be payback for not looking away.

She left the room and went out onto the porch of the house, surprised to see that the sun was already going down. She walked down the three steps and over towards the car, where the rest of the group, minus Alex, were waiting. Angelica was sitting in the driver's seat, not trusting anyone else with the keys.

Eliza sat in the front seat and put on her seatbelt. She looked back towards the house just in time to see Alex fall down the steps by stepping on his shoelace. Angelica raised an eyebrow when he did that but didn’t comment to him when he got into the vehicle.

He bent down to finish tying his shoe, neglecting to put on his seatbelt. Angelica sped away without mentioning it to him, knowing that somehow he would end up in Laurens’ lap somewhere along the way to the restaurant. She was right. When they parked the car and glanced back Alex was straddling his boyfriend and the two were in the middle of a make-out session.

Eliza cleared her throat to get her fiance’s attention and Angelica got out of the car to go get them a table for six. Alex turned to look at him, and she blushed to notice how his lips were beginning to get swollen, meaning that he had been in that position for quite some time. She wondered briefly what it would be like to kiss him for that long before clearing her head and getting out of the car. Lafayette was already out and he held open the door for her.

He whispered, “Me and you today?” and Eliza giggled. See, whenever the group went out on very large dates like this, they paired up with one person so it didn’t look like a massive poly relationship. Eliza has in public dated everyone except for Angelica, because that would be weird. She’s pretty sure that the town was beginning to get pretty confused as to who was dating who. She loved that confusion.

Today it was Angelica with Mulligan, Eliza with Lafayette, and Hamilton with Laurens. They sat next to each and were allowed to act like a couple above the table, while under the table Angelica had engaged in a game of footsie with Hamilton that she was totally winning.

Somewhere during the middle of the dinner date Angelica recruited Lafayette’s help and he trailed his foot up Hamilton’s leg in an attempt to throw him off. He hung on until Lafayette went a little above the leg and received Alex’s full attention for the next four minutes.

Laurens laughed and whispered just loud enough for Eliza to hear, “Straight face game?” Before his hand subtly replaced Lafayette’s foot. Alex bit his lip and turned his full attention to his plate, trying very hard not to give their game away.

In the end, he succeeded, but he would remember what they tried to do when the next opportunity arose for him to get revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alex got his nap, and Eliza is the best pillow.  
> I've been meaning to ask, because this fic has literally every character (sans King George and Samuel Seabury and Peggy, who I left out simply for the sake of forgetting her) it's home to a lot of rare pairs i.e. Madison and Mulligan. So what rare pairs would you like to see?  
> Don't get used to Sally! She's not going to be a main character!  
> *Federalist number 8


	23. The One Where Hamilton Complains to Washington

Hamilton walked up to the White House, ignoring the secret service, muttering to himself. He finished the Federalist papers two days ago, now he had a dept plan to finalize so it can be presented in… ten months. He absentmindedly walked into the Oval Office and shut the door behind him, still working on talking himself through the beginnings of his plan.

Washington looked up from his paperwork, not looking surprised to see him and not interrupting Hamilton’s current thought process. After five minutes of Hamilton standing there and not speaking directly to him, the President turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk. Whatever Hamilton came here to talk to him about, he’ll tell him in his own time.

Eventually Hamilton stopped muttering and sat down on a clear spot of the desk. This was the sign that Washington should start paying attention to Alex again.

Nothing was said for a solid ten seconds then Alex muttered, “I’m going to lose my job.” No he wasn’t. Hamilton continued, “The only thing I can think of is if we combine the debts of all of the states and work together to pay it off, with the government having total control. I’m not stupid, I know the south isn’t going to want that. The war debt is too massive though…”

Washington waited for Hamilton to get it all out of his system before he said simply, “You’ll figure it out.”

Hamilton barked out a laugh and argued, “Yeah, sure. No fatherly advice? No, ‘Son let me tell you a story from my past that can totally help you out’?”

“When have I said the word ‘totally’?” George wondered, not acknowledging the rest of Hamilton’s argument.

The immigrant shrugged, “I don’t know, it seems like something a young, hip version of you would say.”

George looked amused and he said, “I’ve been called many things, but ‘hip’ was never one of them.” Hamilton rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the desk, glancing down at the classified documents on the desk.

He huffed out a sigh and changed the topic, “Also, I’m trying to convince Hercules to move in with us, but he’s refusing. He’s at my house all the time anyway, when he’s not at work. He’s also a very significant part of our relationship, like he’s permanent now. I even caught him and Angelica making out in the garage...”

Washington moved the secret documents out of eyesight and inquired, “Why is he refusing?” He ignored that last part about Miss Schuyler.

Alex shrugged while saying, “My house is too small. I’m not exactly the most _wealthy_ person here.”

“If he’s over all the time, why does him living there suddenly make your house too small?” Washington reasoned.

Hamilton kept his gaze down and told him, “Well, the bed is also too small. When Hercules stays the night, two people sleep together on the couch, which is _way_ less comfortable than Eliza’s bed.” That brought Alex to a new topic and he mused, “I’m going to need to ask her where she bought that bed so I can get a bigger one when I get a bigger house.”

Washington gently brought him back to the previous topic when he asked, “How are you going to afford a bigger house for six people?” Alex stopped and thought about it, that was a good question. His current salary wasn’t enough to cover it and a new, bigger bed. Especially since he refused to own slaves. He completely missed out on that part of growing a fortune when he refused to ever participate in slavery.

Hamilton sighed once more and tried, “I don’t suppose you could give me a raise.”He looked hopefully into the President’s eyes.

Washington gave him the briefest hints of a smile and responded, “If that was how this works, I would. However, nothing can be done until you get your debt plan through.”

Hamilton hung his head, “Right. No vacation time for me then. Not until I figure out how to convince congress to back up my plan.”

“A plan that you haven’t even finished.”

Hamilton groaned, “I don’t suppose you have any shortcuts to any of my problems.”

“I can’t give you anything.” Washington told him. Hamilton slid off the desk and began pacing the floor. He resumed his murmuring, trying to talk to the smartest person he knew to figure this out, himself.

Washington glanced at the picture of his wife that he kept on his desk and he blurted out the only solution he could think, “Move in with me.”

Hamilton stopped dead in his tracks stared at the President for a moment. Eventually he stammered, “S-sir, I don’t think that’s professional.” He had the faintest traces of a blush on his cheeks, which urged Washington on.

“Don’t do it professionally. You’ve said it yourself, Alexander. You’re not a stupid man. You know how my wife and I feel about you.” George paused for a moment and added, “About all of you.”

Hamilton’s eyes widened, “You mean… you want to join us? Both of you?”

This time Washington allowed himself a full smile, “Yes. Please Alex, let us ‘date’ you.” Alex looked around the office, completely caught off guard.

He muttered, “I need to call Eliza, right now.”

“You’re not saying no?” Washington checked.

Hamilton took his phone out of his pocket and began dialing the number he had labeled “Betsey”. While placing it to his ear he looked at the man who he trusts to lead more than anyone else and said, “I’ll try to convince her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but important.  
> They might get two new additions! Also small note, I've taken the liberty as the author to decrease the ages of Martha and George by about 15 years. They're both still older than Alex, but the age gap isn't as significant.  
> Everything rests in the hands of Eliza.


	24. The One with Eliza's Abundance of Nicknames for Alex

Eliza was eating lunch with Hercules when she got the call. She had woken up an hour before and immediately slipped inside one of his sweaters. Alex's fondness of oversized sweaters must be contagious, and Hercules didn’t look all that surprised (and slightly pleased) to wake up to her wearing his clothing. They were the only two home who were awake so they decided to eat something together and then maybe watch a movie.  

He was in the middle of telling her a  story about a horse that was quickly going to a strange place, so Eliza was slightly relieved to get a call from her fiance. 

She held up a finger and showed Hercules the phone so he knew and he gave her a thumbs up and paused the story. 

She put the phone on speaker and answered sweetly, “Hey cutie pie, you're on speaker.”

Her love’s voice replied with laughter in his voice, “I haven't heard that nickname yet. I think I like it.” 

“I can think of plenty.” Eliza sing songed, “Sugar plum, darling, sweetie, lover, dearest, sunshine, light of my life, beautiful, my heart, pumpkin, honey, handsome, honey bear-” 

Hamilton's laugh cut her off, “I love you.” He told her. 

Eliza giggled and responded, “I love you too. What's up?” 

“Who else is in the room?” He checked after the laughter faded.

“Mulligan.” Eliza reported, winked at the other man.

“That's fine. I was talking to George and naturally I was complaining about everything mildly inconvenient happening in my life.”

“Naturally.” Eliza encouraged, making a face at Hercules. The other man laughed.

“Well, he presented a pretty good solution.” Hamilton dragged on, still not getting to his point. 

“What was his solution?” Eliza egged on. 

“...”

“Alex?” 

“Is it okay with you if two more people join in our inner circle?” Alex suddenly sounded unsure. 

“Let me get this straight. Not only will our group of six people become eight, but those extra two people will be George and Martha Washington.” Eliza double checked, her voice staying neutral but her dark eyes dancing with amusement.

“...Is that a no?” Eight  _ is _ a little much, but something in Alex’s voice told her that he was willing to have this argument with her.

“No, I'm saying yes, I just want to make sure you know where we stand.” She heard Hamilton exhale and realized that he must have held his breath. He must have  _ really  _ wanted this. Stranger, he’s never mentioned it since the first time she met Martha. Eliza continued, “But when Aaron and Theo join us that's ten.” 

“...That  _ is _ a  _ little  _ excessive. Like, that’s a lot of birthdays to keep track of.” Alex conceded. Eliza took a moment to appreciate the fact that birthdays are where his mind went. 

“If it stops at ten I think we can do it.” Eliza decided, “I have faith in us.” This time her voice betrayed the amusement that shone in her gaze. 

“I mean, if some wicked hot girl in a red dress comes up to me and asks me to help her out because I'm a man of honor and her husband's cheating her, beating her, and mistreating her then I’ll have no choice but to have an affair.” 

“What, are you going to write some pamphlet that completely ruins your career about this affair while everyone tells you not to write it but you do it anyway because you're an absolute mess of a human being?” Eliza joked. 

“That's exactly what I'll do.” Alex confirmed, laughing along. He was the first to sober up and he said, “But really, you're okay with the Washingtons?” 

“I'm really okay with it.” Eliza affirmed, she didn’t think she would ever be able to say no to something that Alex  _ really _ wanted. 

“Okay, then I'm going to hang up on you so I can continue ranting and maybe do other things to take out my frustrations.” At least he's honest.

“Have fun.” The line went dead and Eliza looked at her boyfriend from across the table. He raised his eyebrows and took a sip out of his cup. Eliza sighed, “I feel like everyone has gotten to sleep with my fiance but me.” She knew exactly what he meant by  _ other things _ . 

“Has Angelica?” 

“...I don't know. Angelica doesn't kiss and tell.” 

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “You can always just let him know that you want to have sex with him. He'll understand, and he's not  _ terrible.”  _

“You say that like he's not good.” Eliza pushed her plate back and put her head on the table. 

Mulligan put his cup down and moved closer so he could gently rub her back, “Well, Alex doesn't top with me, so I don't know. You'd have to ask Angelica or maybe Gilbert.” 

Lafayette took that moment to stroll in while whistling cheerfully and asked, “Ask me what?” 

Without lifting her head Eliza replied, “Is Alex good in bed?” 

“Sure.” Lafayette responded cheerfully. 

“...On top?” Eliza made sure. 

“That too.” The Frenchman confirmed. That eased Eliza's worries a little. The problem still remained that her first time was probably going to be on her honeymoon. Lafayette continued, “Why do you want to know?” 

“Because Alex is probably having sex with George, or at least about to, which makes me the only person who hasn't been with him yet.” At the sound of someone choking on their drink Eliza lifted her head and saw that Lafayette had just taken a sip from Mulligan's cup. 

“George? As in George Washington?” His voice got a little higher and surprise was very evident on his face. 

“What other George would I be talking about?” Eliza wondered before continuing without a response, “Anyway, apparently Alex was griping and that somehow led to Washington wanting to date us. Or maybe just date Hamilton…” He hasn't expressed much interest in Eliza. 

Lafayette paused for a brief moment before confessing, “Martha really wants to be with you.” 

Eliza nodded, she had guessed as much. She may be innocent, but she's not blind. She responded, “So I expressed my consent and long story short now we're up to eight.” 

“Has anyone told Martha Washington?” Mulligan broke the silence that followed. The question caused both Eliza and Lafayette to glance at each other. Laf sighed and went to grab the keys and Eliza kissed Hercules on the cheek. 

“When John wakes up catch him up on everything?” She requested. He nodded in response and Eliza kissed him once more, this time on the mouth, in goodbye and went to follow Lafayette to the car. 

She felt like she was getting more and more road trips with him but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, aside from the fact that he sped. After putting on her seatbelt she texted Alex, “ _ Telling Martha Washington. Be home for dinner. <3”  _ Roughly an hour later of Lafayette teaching her certain phrases in French when Eliza requested them she received the text back “ _ K love you.”  _

Once Angelica learned that both Alex and Lafayette learned French she quickly became comfortably bilingual. Eliza doubted she would ever learn the entirety of the French language, but it was nice to know how to call someone stupid in two different languages. Angelica knows how to do it in four. That’s the first phrase she always learns when learning a new language. 

By the time that Eliza mastered the pronunciation of the phrase “Make your own grilled cheese”, a phrase she's had to say to both Alex and John, they arrived at the place where Martha's social media claimed that she was at. She doesn't text, but she does use Twitter. 

The Secret Service guarded the door, but they seemed to recognize her and Lafeyette because they let them both walk past them without giving them any trouble. Martha was sitting at a table with several ladies and she seemed to be telling a story. Not wanting to intrude until she was finished, Eliza waited at the side of the room. 

After almost three minutes the first lady glanced over and noticed the two newcomers, and she instantly stopped whatever she was saying and got up to greet them warmly. 

“Eliza! Gilbert!” She kissed them both on the cheek in turn when she used their name and then pulled back and asked, “What are you doing here? Did you miss me that much?” She smiled charmingly. 

Eliza returned her smile and noticed how Lafayette shifted his weight from one foot to another. She replied, “Actually we’re just here to inform you of some new developments then we'll leave you to your party.” She nodded politely to the table of ladies waiting for Martha to come back. She knew some of them, she  _ is  _ a Schuyler sister after all, and they knew her so no one was upset that she had taken the hostess away for a moment. 

Martha opened her arms invitingly and told the younger girl, “It must be important for you to come all this way.”

“It's pretty important.” Eliza agreed, glancing away for a moment habitually and when she glanced back decided not to dance around the subject, “Alex and your husband have decided that you and he are going to join our inner circle, like Mulligan and Angelica and Laf.” 

The response seemed to register slowly but when it did Eliza could see plainly that Martha had not been expecting that answer at all. She said, “This is so sudden… how?” She looked to Lafayette and the Frenchman shrugged. 

“I think only Alex knows the full story, but the point is that both he and I think that it's a good idea.” Eliza answered. 

Martha nodded and pursed her lips before saying, “Then I should say right away that long ago George and I decided that we would be the only people of the opposite sex that we’re with, so I will only be with you, your sister, and Lafayette. George will only be with Alex, Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette.” 

“That's reasonable.” Eliza’s plenty comfortable with there being some platonic relationships within the eight of them. Otherwise it might get dull. She felt certain that Alex is also comfortable with it. 

Martha smiled and glanced back at her table of important ladies waiting for her and she said, “I'm actually quite busy right now, but if you two would like it's completely fine for you to join me until I finish.”

Eliza and Lafayette shared a look and she excused, “That's a kind offer but I really should get home. We just wanted to let you know in person where things stand.” 

Martha frowned and glanced once more at the waiting table before saying, “I want to spend more time with you though…” She seemed to get an idea because she brightened up and suggested, “Why don't George and I take you all to a fancy restaurant this weekend? I can easily clear my schedule.” 

“That sounds good.” Eliza agreed, and as long as they didn't have to pay she knew that Alex would be fine with it, “I'll make sure that Angie doesn't have anything going on and text your husband later tonight.” With that decided the three bid each other goodbye and Eliza and Lafayette began the long drive home. 

After a silence that dragged on for too long Eliza turned to look at the driver and said, “Alright, what's on your mind.” 

Lafayette drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and when he spoke his accent was strong, as was usual when he had a lot going on in his mind, “I was included in the people who Martha is romantically involved with.” 

Eliza nodded slowly and she reasoned, “Well sometimes you're a girl. And you're so close with her husband it would make sense that you're with  _ her _ too.” 

“But she's never quite forgiven me for leaving.” He took his eyes off the road to glance at her quickly before looking back and he continued, “She told me that she would only forgive me  _ if  _ I helped her get with you.” 

“And you did, so everything is fine.” Eliza didn't see the problem yet. 

Lafayette shook his head, “I didn't, Alex did. Logically she shouldn't be with  _ me  _ at all, but with Alex.” 

“But she can't be with Alex. He's never a she.” Eliza argued, and she continued before Lafayette could respond, “And while I don't agree with her method of almost, like, manipulating you into helping her, the fact remains that you do want to be with her, and she's a smart woman. She could tell that it was Alex who pulled the final straw, but she still chose to include you in her list of non-platonics.” Lafayette’s shoulders relaxed and he nodded. Eliza continued, “This weekend, I will try to ask her in private to figure out her true feelings about this. No dancing around the subject, okay?” 

“Okay.” Lafayette agreed, his voice going back to its normal, stress free, French accent.

“Now let's hurry home and see if we can't convince John to make that stew that he made for Hamilton's birthday. I want some more of that.” Eliza decided, beginning to fantasize about her next meal, despite the fact that she wasn't hungry. Lafayette only laughed and sped up a little bit, more than happy to do whatever Eliza requests. 

Somehow she eased his troubles with her simple solutions, something that Alex could never quite do. All of them are really lucky to have her, and that fact became glaringly obvious to Lafayette in that moment. He’ll give her a back massage later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I want to clear something up real quickly. It's not necessarily essential to the story, it just might clear up a little confusion, so you can skip it if you want. I have gone through several websites to learn the difference between polygamy and polyamory, and here is what I have decided. Eliza and Alex definitely have a poly-amorous relationship. Polygamy and Polyamory are very similar in a lot of ways but very different in some key ways for this story. Firstly, currently no one is married, and when people do get married it's just going to be Eliza and Alex getting married to only each other, while staying with everyone else. Polygamy typically refers to multiple marriages while polyamory refers to multiple loves. Also, it could be speculated that polygamy is gender based, because more often than not it's a man having multiple wives, while in this story Eliza has like four boyfriends so far.   
> Also, polygamy has strong ties to a couple of religions, and the idea for this sort of relationship was based purely off of how everyone feels not about what their religious text tells them to do.


	25. The One with the Forgotten Girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got the motivation for this chapter while scrolling through tumblr, are you ready for another character?

Alexander placed his hands on his hips and frowned at him, while Washington remained almost passive. Well, passive to the untrained eye. Laurens could tell he was disappointed. Martha didn’t seem to care, she had immediately grabbed Eliza's hand and was far too busy trying to sneak Angelica’s. The Schuyler sisters both glared at him, angry at him for his decision. Lafayette didn’t quite know what to make of it and Mulligan was secretly attempting to grope the Frenchman. 

Finally Alex broke the silence when he told him, “You can’t be serious.” Laurens couldn’t find it in him to be sorry, he had made up his mind.

“I can’t go, Alex. I have too much work to do.” Laurens had told them to go to the dinner without him. 

“You’re going to watch porn and we all know it.” Angelica accused, folding her arms. Laurens rolled his eyes, wishing he could just watch porn tonight instead.

“Go without me, there will be plenty of people, you won’t even realize I’m gone.” Laurens encouraged, attempted to shoo them out the door. That was when Alex did the cruelest thing ever.

See, Alexander has this gift that allows him to have complete control over John Laurens. He can cry on command. When tears began to form at the corners of Alex’s eyes it took everything in his power not to go and hug him and kiss him until everything was all better. Alex mumbled, “I always notice whenever you’re not there.” Looking very pathetic. John closed his eyes and turned around, forcing himself to think about happy things, like everytime Eliza laughs. 

He made himself sound apathetic when he said, “It’s not going to work. I have too much to do.” 

Alex sounded normal again when he said, “It was worth a shot.” And when Laurens turned around the tears were gone as though they had never been there in the first place. If they were still there then Alex wasn’t faking it, but that’s only happened once, and when it did Alex was  _ very  _ easy to comfort. 

Laurens snorted and rolled his eyes, pointing out the open door that Lafayette and Mulligan had already exited out of, “Go have your dinner slash orgy thing.” 

“We’re not going to have an orgy.” Alex said, but the look on his face told Laurens he would not say no if offered.

“Be gentle with Eliza. She’s delicate and if you hurt her I won’t sleep with you for a solid month.” That caused Eliza to laugh, but she covered it with a cough. Alex looked positively hurt.

“Of course I’ll be gentle with Eliza.” 

“When did this turn to will?” Eliza wondered. Both Alex and Laurens ignored her. 

“What are you having for dinner?” Angelica interrupted, looking at Laurens with an almost worried gaze, “Mulligan ate the last of the roast this morning.”

“Who eats roast for breakfast?” Alex judged, shuddering. 

Laurens ignored that too and he answered his girlfriend, “I’ll probably order a pizza. Go, have fun with the leader of our country.” He paused then added, “Have fun with George too.” This got Martha to turn her attention to him and she gave him a playful wink while George gave a fake laugh.  

They turned to leave and Laurens watched Alex stumble down the steps and go into the limo that the Washington’s brought before shutting the door and mentally preparing himself for the amount of work that he had to do. 

He brought out the stack of papers that had been lying on his desk for the past three days and set to filling them out, sitting on the couch and dragging the shorter table close so he could place his papers on it. The stacks of paper were very unorganized so it was difficult to fill them out and place them in the order that they needed to be in when he filed them. He eventually just scatter the papers across the table and searched for the next one he needed before being able to fill it out. He got about four of them done this way before he heard a short knock on the door, and he turned his attention to the window, only to see that a small, light pink Beetle was parked in the driveway. How strange, he didn’t think that he knew anyone who drove that type of vehicle. The only person he could think of would be Eliza, but Eliza left and she’s not really the type to drive a Beetle…

He stood up when the knocking sounded again, and walked to the door. Opening it, he saw a short woman with curly hair looking very surprised to see him standing there. They wore matching expressions of shock for a few moments before Laurens asked, “Who are you?” He didn’t want to seem rude, it’s just he had never seen this girl before and she seemed to be expecting someone else. Did Eliza have a date that she forgot to cancel? 

The girl straighten up and looked almost dignified when she introduced herself as, “Peggy Schuyler.” She held her hand out for Laurens to shake, and the man did slowly. 

“As in Eliza and Angelica Schuyler?” He checked, and at Peggy’s nod he backed up into the house and held the door open, “Come in. They’re out right now, but they’ll be back later. Or I can take a message.” 

Peggy looked around for a moment before she turned back to him, and she had a faint blush on her cheeks as she said, “Is it okay if I wait? I don’t much want to go home yet.” 

Laurens shrugged, “I understand that. Sure, just make yourself at home or whatever.” He went back to his table of papers and frowned at it, not remembering what he was doing. 

Peggy stood there awkwardly for a second before walking over and sitting next to him on the couch, far enough away to give him his space. She looked around the house and began playing with her fingers, clearly uncomfortable. 

Laurens glanced down at the mess on the table and then back up at the pretty girl on the couch before deciding that he should probably comfort the girl. He cleared his throat and asked, “Could you, ah, help me out?” Her attention snapped back to him and she glanced down at the mess once before looking up into his eyes.

“With what?” She sounded cautious, but not unwilling.

Laurens gestured at the table while saying, “I really should organize this if I’m going to be able to get any real work done.” 

Peggy nodded and scooted closer to him until their thighs touched. She gazed out at the mess and nodded with determination, “Do you have any specific way you want this organized?” She checked. 

Laurens said, “Some of these go in certain categories, like the stuff that has to do with money go together and the stuff that has to do with rules go in another one.” Peggy gave him an incredulous look, “What?”

“What do you do for a living?” She asked. 

Laurens laughed, not at all surprised by the question. He was pretty sure that not even Alex knew that about him. Not that Alex ever asked… Laurens mentally shrugged that off and told the girl, “I’m the head of a pretty large corporate business.”

“You don’t peg me for a businessman.” She commented. That’s true, Laurens was in every respect not a businessman, but hey money is money. So what if he hates the job?

He simply answered, “Money is money.” She nodded, understanding that. 

She rolled up the sleeves of her jacket and got to work on organizing. First she gathered all of the papers that had to do with a budget for the company and put them in her lap to get those out of the way. There were only about thirty of those. Then she gathered the forms for new employees and with them the basic rules and regulations for all workers. This cleared off a fair chunk of the table. She placed that stack of about sixty papers into John’s lap. He watched in absolute awe as she worked diligently. She picked up the stack of papers that had to do with further meetings and appointments from the clients and put those on the couch next to her, making sure that no stacks of paper stayed on the table. The final stack went to the working hours of all of the employees, and she handed those to Laurens so he would put them on the couch next to him.

Then she grabbed the first stack, the budget stack, and placed those on the table. She put those in a neat stack in order of importance and placed those in one corner of the table. The next stack the application forms and the rules and regulations got their own individual smaller stacks on the table. Both in the same corner, but separate stacks. The third corner of the table, the one right in front of Peggy, got the meetings and appointments stack, and she organized those in order of soonest to last. Finally the last stack Laurens needed to hand her, causing a brush of hands. This one went to the corner of the table in front of Laurens, and was the working hours of the employees, and she organized those in alphabetical order.

She stared at the the neat table in satisfaction and turned her gaze to Laurens. Without thinking the man blurted, “Marry me.” 

Peggy blushed and stuttered, “W-what?”  Laurens gestured out at the table without taking his gaze off of the girl.

“You’re incredible. Where did you learn to organize hundreds of papers like this?” She amazed him in several ways. He was joking about the marriage part. He didn’t want Alex to like murder him or something. 

The blush stayed as Peggy said, “I have a lot of hobbies.” 

“What else do you do?” He was very interested in learning more about this girl. 

She seemed thoughtful and her face returned to its normal hue, “I like to do puzzles and give advice to my friends. I like to go to Starbucks and I love to shop. I like to go spend time with college kids who are in my age range and see what they learn. I like to study history and I love writing.”

“What do you write? What’s your favorite thing to study in history? What sort of puzzles and what do you like to buy?” The questions just kept going. There was something about this girl that brought this out of him. 

She seemed to enjoy the attention as well because she answered all of these questions, “I write fiction, mostly erotica stuff.” This earned a laugh from Laurens, he wasn’t laughing at her, he just found that funny, “I like to study the war, although I suppose that’s not history anymore. I like crosswords and scrabble, and I love to go to bookstores to buy adventure novels.” 

“I think the war counts as history.“ Laurens decided when she had finished. The girl tilted her head, her loose hair falling over her shoulder and he continued, “I fought in it, so I think I have a say.”

“That logic is flawed on several levels.” But she was laughing. Her laugh was nice, he thinks he likes it more than he likes Eliza’s. 

“Alright then what about this; the war is over, so it’s not a current event anymore. If it’s not a current event, and it’s not a future event, then it’s history.” He reasoned. Her laughed stopped but her eyes sparkled. 

“Then... I do like the war the best. I mean, I don’t like war,” She quickly covered, “I just find it interesting.”

“I understand.” He assured, “Explain to me how you organized the papers.” 

She comfortably pointed to each of the stacks in turn as she explained, “The first one that you’re going to do is the budget. It’s the one that’s going to take the longest, unless maybe you get Alex’s help. In which case you’ll do that last.”

“I hadn’t even thought of getting Alex’s help with the budget.” Laurens grinned, “I’ll do that. What next?” 

“You should do the employee hours, it’s important that you’re not exhausted when doing this to give everyone fair hours.” She advised, “Afterwards, you’ll do look over the applications and place in your lap the ones that you’ll interview, and discard the rest.” He nodded for her to continue speaking, “Then you’ll look over the meetings and appointments for tomorrow so you know what you have next. You should probably put those in a safe place at work so you can have them available every day.” 

“While I do this can you call the pizza place and order a large pizza for us to share?” He requested, handing her his phone. She nodded and did as asked while he set to work, this time getting everything done much faster. She stayed quiet and watched him work with a curious expression on her face. 

When the pizza arrived he went to turn on a movie before asking her, “What kind of movies are your favorite?”

“I like rom coms and horror movies.” Of course she gave two opposite sides of the spectrum. At least she doesn’t like documentaries…

He picked out a scary movie for them to watch together, this one called Nightmare on Elm Street, and set about putting his papers away. He’d finish tomorrow when Alex is home. They turned off the lights and watched together, and somewhere in the middle of it Laurens got up to get a blanket before draping it over the two of them.

The movie had just barely finished when the group came home. Alex was the first one in and when he saw Peggy and Laurens curled together on the couch he just stared at them blankly, not sure at all how to handle this, “What.” 

Behind him Angelica came in and she didn’t look nearly as shocked to see her youngest sister, “What are you doing here?” 

“I wanted to know what the hell?” She stood up and faced Alex, putting her hands on her hips and looking very much like an angry Schuyler sister. 

Alex looked quite concerned as he held his hands up in surrender, “I don’t know what this is about, but it’s probably Lafayette’s fault.” The Frenchman came inside as he said that and he looked at Alex in confusion before looking at the angry girl.

“This is all you.” He said, then made a beeline for the room. Mulligan followed, giving Alex an apologetic pat on the shoulder as he passed. 

“You started dating both of my sisters and left me alone and unwanted.” She accused, pointing a finger, “I’m an adult too. Am I just not good enough for you?”

Alex looked at a loss for words, and Eliza took that moment to walk in. She took one look at her youngest sister and said, “I wondered when you would confront him. Good luck my love.” And she made her way to the bedroom. Angelica followed, not looking at all sympathetic. This was all on Alex to figure out.

“It’s not that you’re not good enough… I just… forgot.” He tried. 

Peggy gave a dry smile and she said, “I guess I’m just the forgotten girl then. Always in the shadow of my sisters. You know, Laurens was the first person to ask me what  _ my  _ interests are.”

Alex glanced back at his boyfriend before resting his gaze on the girl and he suggested, “Then why don’t you join us?” 

She was clearly taken aback. She came here for an argument and instead got an invitation. Of course… she did have a crush on Laurens when he first showed up at her house to see Eliza, but she could tell that he was married then.

“She can’t join with just me.” Laurens interrupted, “She’d need to be with either you or Eliza.” 

“I’m more than fine being with her, just as long as she doesn’t hate me for forgetting about her. What do you say?” He turned to the girl, who looked thoughtful.

“I guess that will work, but I’m going to live at home. This house is way too small.” She announced.

“Do you need us to drive you home?” Laurens offered, while Alex walked into the bedroom to tell Eliza that they were up to eleven. 

“No.” The girl denied, shaking her head, “But thank you. Thank you as well for keep me company while I waited to yell at Alex.” 

“Always a pleasure.” He winked, “Yelling at Alex is the best part of my day. Or yelling with Alex.” He paused, “Not so much yelling but more… groaning loudly?” 

“I got it.” Peggy held up her hand, not wanting him to go further into the sexual innuendo. She was laughing again. She walked closer and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, “I’ll see you later. Good luck with the rest of your work.” She turned and walked to the door, letting herself out.

He stood there until he was joined by Angelica, who merely squeezed his hand and said, “Thank you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND PEGGY


	26. The One with the Six Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a more dialogue centered chapter.  
> *Warning, very brief mentions of rape and physical abuse at the end.*

Angelica took this moment to speak up in an effort to fix the problem, “Eliza, do you want to have the wedding soon?” Her younger sister hesitated then nodded, “Alex, do you want it to be a good wedding?” He nodded, “Okay then here’s what we’re going to do. Hercules,” He looked up from his lap when she said his name, giving her his full attention, “How quickly could you tailor us our wedding outfits?” 

He thought about it for half a minute before answering, “I could have it done in a month.” 

“Start now.” Angelica ordered, to Alex she said, “I’ve seen pictures of Mount Vernon, we should have the ceremony there. Father can pay for the catering and such as a wedding gift to us. That gives you a month to get your work together before the wedding.”

“What day next month?” Eliza asked. Angelica shrugged and Eliza continued thoughtfully, “Actually, we should pick the date closer to the time of the actual wedding. I need to find a day that Martha doesn’t have occupied with other ladies.” 

With that problem discussed Alex spoke up, “Okay my turn. We need to set up some new rules for our… thing.” He searched for the right words that plagued his mind and settled on, “We need to stop inviting core members. This is getting to be too much.” 

“Aren’t we getting the Burrs?” Eliza checked, already having got her hopes up. Of course, she could always try to get them to herself.

Alex answered, “Yes, but when we have the Burrs it’ll be up to eleven people. We never asked anyone else if everyone was fine with them, or Peggy for that matter.”

Laurens squeezed Hamilton’s hand as he suggested, “Then we vote on it when we want to add another one. If it’s not unanimous then we don’t, everyone’s comfortable.”

Eliza added, “Don’t forget that some of this is platonic, so it’s not as much as it looks.”

“It’s still  _ eleven _ people. Eliza, we have a  _ harem _ .” Hamilton reminded his fiance. Eliza shrugged, unconcerned. Hamilton sighed, understanding that no one really wanted to argue with him about this. If he was going to bring someone else into their core group, it would need to be someone who could actually hold a debate with him. For now he relented, “Fine, we’ll make a vote from now one.” 

After a short silence Angelica took her turn, “I have to go to France for a quick trip in three months.” She stated. 

“Why?” Lafayette asked, suddenly very interested.

“Father called yesterday and said he wanted me to meet with a “wealthy family friend” and that he “hopes we’ll get along.” Angelica explained.

Eliza looked sympathetic as she asked, “Is Father still pressuring you to get married?” Angelica nodded and Alex frowned.

“Does he know about this?” He gestured to their circle.

Angelica gave a him a pointed look, “How, exactly, would I explain this,” She repeated his gesture, “to my father, who is looking to me to marry rich to keep our family standing?”

“Tell him that you’re dating the Washingtons.” Laurens suggested, which made Angelica go quiet. That… actually might work. They were obviously very wealthy, and they were much more well known than the Schuylers. 

Angelica nodded and decided, “Then next week you and I,” She was looking at Laurens, “Are going to talk to my father together.” He gave a thumbs up, perfectly fine with getting the opportunity to spend time with Angelica.

With that Laurens took his turn to say something, “My problem isn’t nearly as big as the rest of yours, but Martha wants to meet up with me some time next week. She says it’s important and has to do with our son.” 

“We can do that together. How’s Thursday for you?” Angelica asked, writing it down in her phone’s calendar without waiting for a response.

Laurens snorted and answered anyway, “Thursday works for me.” 

Lafayette snapped his fingers and announced, “My turn!” When he had everyone’s full attention he told them, “I am genderfluid.”

Alex snorted and said, “You’re also French.” Laurens smack his arm and Hamilton said, “What? I thought we were stating the obvious.”  

Lafayette ignored that and continued, “I do not ever want to be referred to by the female pronouns. If I am in a girl mood, please use them and they when referring to me.”

Eliza furrowed her brow, very confused, “Why?” Hamilton nudged her with his foot, shaking his head slightly.

Lafayette shrugged and answered the innocent question as far as he was comfortable with, “I have… bad memories with that pronoun.” Eliza frowned but nodded, falling silent on the matter but also wanted to know more so she could comfort him and make sure that he was always happy. Maybe one day he would give her that opportunity, but not yet. 

Alex looked at Hercules, indicating that it was his turn. The man huffed out a sigh and said, “I want you to get a bigger house.” Alex laughed and he continued, “I want to move in with you, but everytime we’re all here it gets pretty cramped.” 

“Noted.” Alex responded, before his face brightened and he said, “Actually, Washington invited us to move to Mount Vernon with him. Is that a big enough house?” He teased. 

Eliza squealed and said, “I’m definitely in!”

Angelica even looked pleased and she added, “We should probably visit then.” She looked around, “Is everyone free this weekend? Say… the day after tomorrow?” 

“I don’t think I have anything going on.” Alex replied, “And if I do we’re going to my boss’s house anyway.” At everyone else’s reassurance that they’re not busy Alex said, “So we’re all done? We can go eat?” He stood up to go when Laurens smacked his leg rather roughly.

“What about Peggy?” John reminded, and Alex looked appropriately guilty as he sat back down. It’s not his fault he forgot her! She’s been silently chewing her the inside of her cheek this entire time. 

At everyone’s silent encouragement the girl finally confessed, “I’m asexual.” Alex blinked blankly, not fully processing. 

Lafayette was the fastest to respond, and that was only after the silence dragged on for too long for Peggy to stay comfortable, “Alright.” He said, nodding once, “Then we won’t make you have sex with us.” 

Alex recovered quickly after that and he agreed, “Yeah, if you’re in it for the romance then that’s all we’ll give you.” 

Peggy looked shocked, “You’re… not mad at me?” She was gazing her Alex, her eyes looking big and fragile.

“Why would I be  _ mad _ at you?” That didn’t make any sense to him.

Peggy cleared her throat and mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear, “When my last boyfriend learned that I was asexual he got really mad and sort of… made me have sex with him to prove that I could get off.”

Angelica got very furious very fast, “He raped you?” Her voice was stone cold, and she wasn’t the only one who looked mad. Even happy, innocent Eliza was pissed. 

Peggy winced, “Well, yeah but it was my fault.” Angelica stood up, her entire body shaking. 

Eliza was the one who spoke next, her sweet voice strongly resembling Angelica’s anger, “Margaret, listen to me.” She crawled forward and took her sister’s face in her hands. Already the younger girl had begun to cry, “It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t want it. You told him that you didn’t like it, no means no. Even Alex knows that.” At the mention of her fiance she glanced to the side and found that Alex had already left. Laurens and Lafayette were gone too. 

Only Mulligan and Angelica stayed, to try and comfort the shaking girl. Eliza looked at them and asked, “Where did they go?”

“They walked out of the house.” Mulligan told her. 

Angelica continued, “Alex was calling George when they left… He might get charged for murder. Or at least assault.” She added as an afterthought. 

“They’re army.” Mulligan reminded quietly, or as quiet as he could go, “It’s murder, but the President can acquit any crime he wants, all Hamilton would need to do is make certain the media doesn't get ahold of it.”

This effectively stopped Peggy’s tears, her voice was shaky and she said, “They’d fight for me?” She sounded confused. 

Eliza nodded and said, “We all would.” Her voice had gone sweet again and she kissed her sister’s forehead, “Peggy, can you tell me if there’s anything else that your ex would need to be charged with? If I can call Aaron we can take this to court and get him locked away  _ before  _ Alex commits a felony.” 

She began to play with the fabric of her sister’s dress as she said, “...Does physical abuse count?” 

Angelica said, “That’s assault.” 

The youngest sister fell silent before she looked back up at her sisters and confessed, “I would not have been able to talk about this if you two weren’t my sisters. If I didn’t know that you actually… care about me.”

This got Angelica down to her knees and she hugged her little sisters close to her, not saying anything, just holding them as Peggy began to cry again. Of course, she’s still mad that someone had the  _ audacity  _ to harm  _ her baby sister _ for being who she is, but easing Peggy’s pain comes before revenge. 

She hoped Alex beat him up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Beta yelled at me because I didn't tell her about Peggy's past ahead of time.


	27. The One With the Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revenge

“Don’t kill him.” Was the first thing Washington told Alex once he was debriefed. Lafayette was the one driving, as he was the fastest. Alex had put Washington on speaker so the three could talk to him.

“I could.” Alex insisted, “You’d pardon me.”

Washington sighed and replied, “Yes, I would pardon you. However, it would look bad once the media got ahold of it. What would Adams say?”

“Adams can kiss my ass. I’m killing the man who hurt Peggy.” Hamilton insisted stubbornly. Deep, _deep_ down Hamilton knew that he couldn’t kill the douche. Not that Hamilton is incapable, he’s certain that he could if he tried, but Hamilton doesn’t _really_ need to. It would be much more fun to scare him.

“Alexander…” Washington’s voice betrayed a hint of warning.

“Alright fine, we won’t kill him.” Hamilton’s mind raced as he thought about what he could do, “But look forward to a story. I’m still getting revenge.” He hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

Laurens waited until Hamilton had put up the phone before asking, “So what’s the plan?” Hamilton opened his mouth to respond when his phone buzzed.

After looking to see the message Alex reported, “Angelica told us to kill him and that he’s at a bar because he is a bartender. She sent us a map of the specific bar and a picture of the dude.” The phone buzzed again and Alex continued, “Apparently his name is Zack White.”

“He sounds like a douche.” Lafayette commented, his voice calm despite the fact that they were now going over one-hundred twenty miles per hour.  

Laurens snorted, “He is a douche.” He took the phone so he could look at where they were going and commented lightly, “Oh would you look at that, we’re here.”

The car came screeching to a stop when Lafayette slammed on the brakes and Hamilton, who does not wear a seatbelt, flew forward, only stopped by John’s incredible reaction time. He was able to reach forward and grab Alex almost like a seatbelt so that they were both only jerked forward slightly and did not break anything. Lafayette, being the only one who wore a seatbelt, gave them a point look, mumbled something about death under his breath, and got out of the car.

Hamilton turned slightly and gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips in thanks and got out of the car, and Laurens was quick to follow. The bar itself was pretty nice. Very clean, not too many patrons, and the patrons that were here nodded at Hamilton in greeting, recognizing him as one of the leaders of the country. A few people glanced at Hamilton’s gun but no one questioned it. He had the gun at the congress meeting awhile back too.

Zack himself was talking to a guy in a black leather jacket and when he noticed who entered he excused himself from that conversation and came over to the trio with a friendly smile on his face, “What’re you having?” Hamilton maintained a pleasant expression while fighting off the urge to punch the guy in the nose. He idly thought in the back of his mind that in some places duels are still appropriate.

Hamilton hummed and said, “Just a water, I’m here on business.”

Zack laughed jovially and responded, “Business? What kind of business are you here on?” Instead of replying to the question directly Hamilton motioned for Laurens and Lafayette to fan out in the bar and mingle with the people. Zack watched this with a mildly amused expression and went to get Hamilton’s water, not expecting the conversation to continue.

Hamilton waited until he returned with the drink before he stood up and pulled out his gun that he had grabbed before coming. The pleasant atmosphere dissipated as people pulled out their phones and began filming. This was exactly what Alex wanted. One quick glance around the room showed him that Laurens and Lafayette had subtly blocked both of the exits.

Zack reached below the counter and Hamilton let him pull out his own gun. Alex’s phone began ringing. Someone must be broadcasting this live. Good, let the world know.

He smirked and turned around, aiming the gun down so that it hung loosely at his arm. He did what he does best, and began talking to the people, “I’d like to begin by saying that it is not my _intention_ to shoot anyone, so you’re all safe.” He turned back to look at the gun still pointed at him, and noted that it was held by a steady hand, and added, “You may be the exception, I haven’t decided yet.” The gun didn’t lower, and Alex really didn’t like having a weapon aimed at him so he showed that the safety was on his own gun. Once Zack was sure he wasn’t in immediate danger of being shot he lowered his own weapon.

Alex turned his attention back to crowd, “When is it _ever_ okay to harm a lady?” He asked, and waited for an answer. A few people mumbled the word “never” or variations thereof. That answer was what he hoped to hear, and he continued, “When is okay to take a lady against her will?” The “never”s were louder this time, some people glancing back and forth between Alex and Zack, “So it’s never okay to harm a lady in any way?” He checked, he turned back to look at Zack, his eyebrows raised. Zack shook his head and Hamilton laughed bitterly, “Then is-” He paused, trying to decide how to do this without giving away Peggy’s name, he lowered his voice so it was harder to hear him, although not impossible, “Is it okay to rape your girlfriend just because she isn’t sexually attracted to you?” A few shocked gasps around the room and the look on Zack’s face told Alex that he knew exactly what he was talking about.

The man scowled, “She wanted it.” He told him. Hamilton punched him, unable to hold himself back. Zack looked shocked, “You just assaulted me in front of everyone.”

Hamilton shrugged, unconcerned, “The President is kinda fond of me. I’m untouchable.” He grabbed Zack by the collar of his shirt and yanked him with enough force to pull the man over the counter just slightly. It was enough that Zack would go over the counter to avoid having it uncomfortably press against his side. He managed to keep ahold of his gun. He lowered his voice even further, “I could kill you right now, and I’d get away with it.” A pause and Alex was pleased to see fear in the man’s eyes, “All that would happen is I would lose my job. If you try to fight me my friends won’t hold back as much as I am.” He smiled pleasantly and let Zack go, “Of course, I’m not going to kill you. Instead I’m going to shut down your bar and make it impossible for you to escape this. You might even go to prison, I haven’t decided yet.”

Once again addressing the crowd he explained the situation as best as he could without giving away Peggy’s name, “I have someone who I care about very much who came out to this man, once her boyfriend, as asexual. It’s fine, right? It just means that she’s not interested in having sex with him, or anyone else. Nothing personal.” Hamilton licked his lips, “This man took that as an invitation to force her to have sex with him, just to show her that she can finish, which I’m not sure she never did.” Once Zack unwisely began to protest Hamilton gave a scathing look and told him bluntly, “Women can fake orgasms. I’m sure you’re quite familiar with that.” A few snickers in the audience, and Hamilton’s phone rang once more, “Ignore that. Not only did he take my female friend against her will, but he also physically abused her, at least according to her sister.” Hamilton smiled at Zack and patted his face, “I’m going to be cleared on all charges of assault. You, my friend, are not going to be cleared of anything. And my friend has a _very_ good lawyer.”

Zack tried to talk once more, “Your _friend_ is Peggy Schuyler, and she’s a _slut_ ! She _begged_ me to take her. She’s probably fucking you too! Just like both of her sisters-” Hamilton got tired of listening to the sound of his voice so he hit him roughly in the head with the butt of his gun. He watched sadly as Zack slumped down unconsciously. The bar patrons cheered, a few of them even raised their glasses to him. All of the Schuyler sisters are loved in this part of town, so to have one of them spoken about like that is something that people don’t easily forgive.

Hamilton looked at Laurens and John came over and grabbed Zack’s gun that he was still holding, “I wasn’t done.” Hamilton told him. Laurens shrugged and gestured once around the room, “I think the people got the idea.”

Lafayette left his own position to walked over to where Hamilton and Laurens stood over Zack’s motionless body. The patrons either returned to drinking or left the bar, the show over. Lafayette didn’t say anything for a second, then kicked the body roughly. At Alex and John’s amused looked Lafayette just said, “What? I want him to hurt.”

“Are we going to take him to court?” Laurens asked, electing to ignore that.

Alex shrugged, “I was planning on letting Peggy decide what she wants to do. It’s not really my place.” He turned to leave the bar, but before exiting completely he called back, “Drinks on me. Take whatever you want.” He wasn’t planning on paying for the stolen booze, but that wasn’t going to be a problem. You can’t run a business in prison.

He checked his phone for who had called him but didn’t recognize the number. Laurens didn’t either, but apparently Lafayette did. He quickly took the phone and called the number back, then proceeded to talk quickly in French. He paused to listen then handed the phone to Alex. Hamilton took it but before putting the phone to his ear asked, “Who is it?”

Lafayette didn’t take his eyes off the road, “It’s the Secretary of State. Apparently that little scene was broadcasted all around the world, and he has some choice words for you.”

Hamilton put the phone to his ear and asked, “Hello?”

The voice on the other end had a southern drawl to it, “Washington told me to call, is this a bad time?”

Hamilton wasn’t sure if he was being serious, “Umm, kinda.”

The voice didn’t sound sympathetic, “Bummer. Look, it’s probably not smart if you punch every person you disagree with.”

“Worried?” Hamilton snarked.

Without missing a beat the man said, “Hardly. Be careful what sort of trouble you get into. It’s reflected onto all of us.”

“Is that all?” Hamilton didn’t get why Washington told this man to call him, but he already disliked him. The man didn’t reply immediately, apparently talking to someone who had said something to him. Hamilton drummed his finger on the door in annoyance, “I’m still here.”

“Let Washington know that I listened to him and called you.” The voice said before hanging up on him, probably going to deal with whatever had come up.

Before Alex could call him back and rant about people who hung up on him Laurens asked, “What did he want?”

“I don’t know. Let’s just go home, I want to make sure that Peggy was able to be comforted by her sisters.” Hamilton pushed the conversation into the back of his mind, refusing to acknowledge the pleasant feeling of talking to someone who was able to bounce an argument back on him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's probably not smart to take a gun into a bar and pull it out on the bartender. So kids, don't try that at home. Just act as little like Hamilton a possible.


	28. The One with the Shower

If there was one thing that phone call reminded Alex of, it was that he had a lot of work to do in these next ten months. He still has to figure out a way to get the votes to pass his debt plan, otherwise he’ll lose his job. Nothing is more important to Alex than his job… except _maybe_ his boyfriends, girlfriends, and fiance. That’s what motivated him to leave his office in the crack of dawn to crawl into the large extremely comfortable bed in between Lafayette and Eliza and go to sleep.

He slept for about two hours, and woke up to the smell of pancakes and bacon, and upon entering the kitchen he found that Peggy was the one cooking, with Laurens quietly overseeing it. The girl smiled brightly at Alex when he walked in, and Laurens pulled lightly at his hair, “You need a haircut.” He commented.

Peggy gave a horrified look and said, “If Alex cuts his hair I, and half of the girls in this state, will riot.”

Hamilton gave a light laugh and responded, “Then instead of cutting it I’ll go wash it.” He nodded at the bacon cooking on the stovetop and told the girl, “Save some of that for me. It smells _amazing_.”

Her face brightened and she said in delight, “Really? It’s my first time cooking, John is making sure I don’t mess it up.”

Hamilton only replied, “Really.” He was thrilled that she seemed to be in a good mood. Laurens sort of pressured her into living with them, despite the lack of room. She seemed thankful for the reason to move in, being alone is a terrible thing. Alex would know. On his way to the bathroom he received a text stating that his meeting has to be canceled and moved to a later date, completely freeing up today to do whatever he wanted.

He discovered the shower to already be in use, and upon entering anyway found Lafayette. The Frenchman didn’t look surprised to see him, he was too busy squinting up at something.

Alex stripped off his clothes and joined him, “What are you looking at?”

Lafayette sighed in disappointment, “I thought I saw a spider, but instead it was the awful paint job of these walls.” He turned around and wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist, pulling him against him. He murmured, “You should really look into moving us into a new place.”

Alex went to respond but jumped slightly when Lafayette’s hand moved to gently and slowly stroke his cock. Alex understood what he wanted and he began to reciprocate. He placed an open-mouthed kiss on Lafayette’s shoulder before the two locked lips. It was slow, sleepy shower sex. Or, rather shower mutual handjobs. When they were both hard Lafayette moved both of their hands and placed their cocks together. He slowly began grinding on Alex, and in return Hamilton started suckling on the other’s neck.

Alex new that he didn’t need to tell his boyfriend when he was about to finish, Lafayette had a way of telling on his own. Even without touching him, he was just that good. Still Alex grunted out, “hrn- Gilbert.” Lafayette got the idea and picked Alex up. Hamilton wrapped his legs around Lafayette’s waist as he was shoved against the wall. Lafayette nipped Alex on the lips and whispered, “Come.” That pushed Alex over the edge. Lafayette was fairly quick to follow.

When he was placed back on his feet he stumbled a little, not quite steady yet. Lafayette handed him a washcloth and told him, “If you don’t move us into a new house then you should at least repaint the walls.” Alex blinked at him in confusion before realizing that he was continuing the conversation from early.

As he wiped the come from his stomach, Alex decided, “We can take a trip to Mount Vernon today. If we like it then we live there.”

“What about work?” That was good question.

Hamilton thought about it for a minute, the post-sex fog in his brain finally dissipating, “We can live in the White House, at least while I still have my job.” Lafayette gave him a confused look and Alex explained, “I’m still trying to figure out how to finish my debt plan in a way that congress will actually approve of.”

He grabbed the shampoo and as he began washing his hair absent-mindedly murmured, “Laurens thinks I should cut it. Peggy doesn’t.”

Lafayette watched him as he rinsed the soap out of his hair and offered, “Find out what Eliza wants.” Hamilton nodded, what Eliza wants he’ll go with. Lafayette continued, “If you convince Madison of your plan then it’s sure to pass.”

Alex shook his head, “That won’t work. Madison won’t talk to me outside of the debates.” He paused and squinted at Lafayette, “Something about my having an overbearing and all around unpleasant personality?”

Lafayette hummed, “That does sound like you.” Alex nodded in agreement, “George might be able to find you some votes.”

Alex turned around with the silent demand for his boyfriend to wash his back, “He might, but he said himself that he won’t find me enough.”

Lafayette went quiet for the remainder of the shower. It was only when they were getting dressed that he suggested quietly, “If you get both George and Thomas then you could find enough votes to do it. You might even get Madison to go along with it too, by getting those two.”

Alex watched Lafayette tie back his hair before saying, “How would I do that? I spoke with him on the phone yesterday. I don’t think we’ll get along.”

“You two have more in common than you may think. At least when it comes to “overbearing and all around unpleasant” personalities.” Lafayette informed, then squeezed Alex’s shoulder lightly, “You have ten months. You’ll figure it out.”

He walked out of the bathroom with Alex right behind him, and upon entering the dining room the two found that Eliza had at one point woken up. Alex kissed her on the cheek and stole a piece of bacon off of her plate. Biting a piece of it off he commented, “Laurens says I should cut my hair and Peggy says I shouldn’t. What do you think?”

Eliza watched him eat more of her food with a contemplative look in her eyes, “I think you should leave it at that length.”She eventually declared, “Don’t grow it out anymore. Compromise.” She winked, “Isn’t that what politicians do? They compromise?”

Hamilton laughed and started walked to the kitchen to get his own plate. He called behind him, “Something like that.”

Eliza watched her fiance go and turned back to Lafayette. She leaned forward on her hands as he sat down and asked, “So what are the plans for today?”

Lafayette allowed himself some food from her plate as he informed, “Road trip to Mount Vernon today. You in?”

Eliza smiled sweetly, “I can do that. Is it okay if Peggy comes with? Laurens has work today and she doesn’t want to be alone.”

“Of course it is.” Hamilton said as he bustled in, his own plate brimming with bacon, eggs, pancakes, english muffins, and various fruits.

“Are you hungry?” Eliza teased.

Lafayette winked playfully and informed, “He had some pretty good sex about ten minutes ago.”

Hamilton scrunched up his nose, “I mean it was _alright_.” He took a sip of his milk.

Eliza gave a worried look, “I hope you’re better than _alright,_ otherwise our honeymoon is going to get pretty boring pretty fast.”

Alex proceeded to cough up his milk, not at all expecting Eliza to say _that_. Lafayette laughed and stood up, “The only way to find out is to try him yourself.” He nudged Eliza suggestively, “It’s a long trip to Mount Vernon. The backseat of the car is pretty inviting, no?”

Eliza blushed and stuttered out, “I- I couldn’t! Not with you in the car!”

Alex jumped on the bandwagon and teased, “But if Lafayette wasn’t in the car? Are you saying you would be up for car sex?”

“Are you guys talking about sex?” Peggy came in from the living room, reaching behind Eliza to steal a bit of food from her plate, “Gross.”

Eliza agreed, “Sex is gross.” Hamilton and Lafayette both nodded in agreement, and Alex set to conquering the massive amount of food on his plate.

Peggy watched this before abruptly turned to Eliza and jerking her chin towards the door. Eliza got the hint and grabbed Lafayette by the hand, tugging him out of the room despite his protests. This did not go unnoticed by Alex. Peggy smiled at him and requested, “Could you swallow? I don’t want our first kiss to be when you have your mouth full.” He complied and she gave him a sweet closed mouth kiss.

When she pulled away he gave her a small smile, “What was that for?”

She pulled a chair next to his and laid an arm around his shoulders, using her other hand to stroke his hair, “It was a thanks.”

“Thanks?” Alex couldn’t remember doing anything worthy of someone thanking him.

Peggy kissed him shortly on the cheek, “I saw the video, y’know, of you at the bar.” Hamilton turned his head to face her, “You have no idea how happy I was to see you hit him on the head with the butt of your gun.” She placed her forehead on his, “So thank you for defending my honor, and thank you for not giving away my name. I would have preferred the people not know.”

Alex responded simply, “You don’t need to thank me for it. It was pretty selfish of me to do, I mean I took away your chance of getting revenge.” He winked at her, “You should have been the one to hit him with the butt of your gun.”

Peggy laughed softly, “While that would have been fun, I would not have been able to get pardoned on all charges of assault. Although,” She added as an afterthought, “It was funny seeing George Washington look at you like a disapproving parent. I feel like he has to babysit you more than he should.”

Hamilton rolled his eyes, “He chooses to babysit me. If he didn’t want to all he would have to do is tell me ‘no’.”

Peggy gave him a pointed look, “How often do you get told ‘no’ by anyone?”

“Just yesterday, by Thomas Jefferson.”

Eliza took that moment to return, and she looked at them sitting closely together. She looked at her sister and Peggy gave her a thumbs up, letting her know that it was okay to come back. Eliza walked forward and hugged her fiance from behind, “You know what would be super ironic? In a funny sort of way.”

Hamilton pursed his lips, “Lots of things. What’s on your mind?”

“If Thomas Jefferson joined our core relationship.”

Alex was shaking his head before she finished, “Absolutely not. I don’t even know the guy and I already don’t like him. It will _never_ happen.” With his adamant refusal he stood up with his plate and left to go put it in the sink, his appetite gone.

Eliza watched him go with a smirk, “He never knocked on wood.” At Peggy’s confused look Eliza explained, “I’ve never considered myself to be…” She searched for the word, “ _Superstitious_ , but I can’t help but think that he’s going to jinx himself.”

“Are you plotting something?” Peggy could tell when Eliza was up to something, she and Angelica have the same scheming look. Eliza only winked and left to go to the car, excited for the chance to go visit Mount Vernon.

Peggy trailed along after her, wondering for the first time since she joined the relationship just what she signed herself up for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not intend to have that shower scene, so sorry that it was shorter than normal.


	29. The One with Frances

Angelica burst into the room, looking like she had something on her mind. John watched her ruffle things on Hamilton’s desk before pulling out a piece of paper with Alex’s handwriting on it. She glanced up and the two locked eyes. There was a beat of silence then, simultaneously, “What are you doing in Alex’s office?” Silence again. Wordlessly they agreed that neither would say and that it wouldn’t matter. They left the office together, John grabbing what he wanted from Hamilton’s desk on his way out. 

Angelica waited in the hall for him and watched him with a thoughtful expression. He looked up from what he was reading and asked, “What?”

“What are you doing today?” She wondered. 

John thought it over for a minute, “I don’t think I have anything major. I just got back from work, so I’m free for the day.”

“Alex is still in Mount Vernon.” Angelica commented. She glanced at the paper he had in his hands and offered, “Trade?” He agreed and they looked at what the other had nicked from the office. Angelica grabbed a receipt from Alex’s monthly shopping trip. He prefers to go alone and she likes to know what he buys. John grabbed a letter from Alex to Madison that Alex hadn’t yet sent. Reading it over Angelica could see why he wanted to see what was in it. She wasn’t sure if Alex was insulting him, convincing him of something, or flirting with him. They traded back and continued into the garage, Angelica leading the way.

“Well, if you’re not busy we can go see my father.” She decided as they walked, “We can take my bike.” 

“Sounds good. Martha is in town, I’ll call her and schedule a meeting.”  They were going to do this later in the week, but the sooner that they get it out of the way the better. 

Angelica got onto the bike first and waited for him to get on behind her, preferring to drive it herself. She handed him a helmet and he pressed the button for the garage to open. When they were both ready to go they sped off towards her father’s mansion, John wrapped his arms around Angelica’s waist. 

He could instantly tell why she preferred motorcycle to car, it felt so much more freeing. At a stop light he noticed some people looking at them and some woman say to another, “Why...her drive?” He couldn’t make out some of it because of the roar of the bike and the distance the woman was at, but he knew why she was confused. It’s… _ encouraged _ that women not be allowed to drive. At all. 

John didn’t like that. He was absolutely certain that the three Schuyler sisters were all better than him in every way. Angelica is smarter than him, Eliza is kinder, and Peggy is prettier. He turned in just enough time to lock eyes with the woman before the light turned green and Angelica sped off. 

As his second time seeing the Schuyler mansion John was still slightly taken aback by its size. Servants bustled about, and Angelica barely acknowledged them, walking through the front door like she owned the place. She could tell by the vehicles here that her father was here and he had a guest. That means they’re in his office, and would remain there for quite some time, giving Angelica and John some time to pilfer food from the kitchen. 

She didn’t make any of the servants get her her food, preferring to do it herself. She tossed John an apple and hopped up on the countertop, explaining shortly, “Father’s in a meeting right now.” John nodded and bit into his apple. Angelica cracked open a can of Root Beer and after taking a sip asked, “Aren’t you going to call your ex wife?” 

He put the apple down and pulled out his phone, “Right I forgot about that.” Her number was still on speed dial, just in case there was an emergency with their son while one of them had him. She picked up on the fourth ring, “Hey are you free this afternoon? In like thirty minutes?”

Martha snapped, “Shut up freak I’m talking to your father.” John was not expecting to be yelled at and he moved the phone away from his ear with an alarmed expression on his face. Her voice was nice again when she said, “I’m free.” 

“Cool. See ya at the McDonalds where we ate your first time coming to New York.” He reminded himself to confront her in person about calling their son a freak.

“I’ll be there.” He hung up on her and frowned at Angelica.

“What?” She could tell that something was upsetting him. He was about to respond when her father and mystery guest showed up. Mystery guest happened to be John Adams. Laurens and Angelica shared a knowing glance.

Her father walked over to his eldest daughter and greeted, “The servants told me you were here.” He folded his arms and looked at her disapprovingly, “I wondered when you would show up.” 

Angelica responded with the same attitude, “Why? Is there something we need to talk about?”

Philip Schuyler glanced at Laurens before asking, “What  _ exactly  _ is your relationship with Alexander Hamilton?” John Adams snorted and leaned against the fridge.

Angelica smirked and Laurens braced himself for the honest response, “He’s getting married to my little sister, dating my littlest sister, dating two of my boyfriends, and also dating me.” 

That was not the response that her father was expecting. Angelica continued before he could say anything, “You told me that you wanted me to marry rich. Clearly that’s not going to happen, but I am technically dating the Washingtons.”

Laurens put in, “Just Martha Washington, not George. Alex is with George… more or less.” He took a bite out of the apple nonchalantly. 

Angelica nodded in agreement and said, “I might marry Laurens. I’m kinda fond of him. You rich or powerful?”

“Not really. I’m dating George Washington. Does that count?”

“It counts for something.” She concluded. Her father watched this with growing disbelief. Angelica read her father easily and added, “I’m serious and I’m happy.” 

Philip Schuyler thought about his response before saying slowly, “I saw the video where Alex confronted Zack. He’s good for all three of you, you’ll be well taken care of. That’s all I care about.” Angelica knew this wasn’t exactly true but he turned to Laurens and continued, “Peggy told me about you. She seemed to really like you.”

“I like her too.” Laurens commented. 

Philip eyed him carefully, “I saw your divorce trial on the television. Why did you end your marriage if you’re clearly fine with being with multiple people?”

John didn’t even need to think about it, “I wasn’t fine being with Martha. She’s a horrible woman. Alex also didn’t like me being with Martha, and I think on some level it upset Angelica too.”

“You’re right.” Angelica offered. 

“A horrible woman?” The man didn’t look convinced, so Laurens thought of an example.

He came up with the one that just happened, “On the phone with her several minutes ago she called our twelve year old son a freak.” The man nodded, seemingly convinced. 

He looked back and forth between Laurens and Angelica before holding his hand for a handshake to the man, “Well, be kind to her. If you don't I’m certain she’ll hurt you.” Laurens took it and offered a small smile.

“You’re right.” Angelica repeated, then to her father asked, “Does this mean I don’t need to go to France?”

Philip Schuyler sighed, “You don’t need to go to France.” He agreed begrudgingly. Angelica cheered and grabbed Laurens by the arm.

She was dragging him out the door when she called back, “Bye Father, I’ll see you next time.” To John she added, “Let’s go confront your horrible ex wife.”

“Let’s.” Laurens agreed, allowing himself to be pulled. 

“What McDonald’s is it?” He gave her the instructions and they arrived several minutes late. 

Martha Manning was waiting with their son in the booth in the corner furthest from the door. Upon seeing them come in she waved them over. Laurens allowed Angelica to take the first seat before scooting in after her. His son brightened immediately upon seeing him and cheered, “Pops!” Laurens grinned and reached over, ruffling his son’s hair. 

“Hey sport.” He greeted fondly. Martha watched this with a cold expression, “What?” He asked.

Martha sighed and admitted, “I can’t do this anymore. You need to take this kid.”

He blinked at her once in shock, not fully registering the request. Thankfully Angelica was quicker, “Why? What’s wrong with him.”

Martha glared at the child and snapped, “Do you want to tell your father what’s wrong with you or do you want me to?” The child flinched and Laurens glared at Martha. 

“Don’t talk to him like that.” 

“Her.” She sneered.

“What?” 

“Your child thinks he’s a woman.”

“No I don’t I was kidding!” The kid desperately protested.

“I don’t want this, so I’m giving him to you. Call me if he dies or something.” She grabbed her purse and left, leaving a shocked Laurens, a furious Angelica, and an ashamed child. 

After she walked out of the door Laurens came to his senses, “Is that true? Do you want to be a girl?” He demanded. The child looked down shook his head, not wanting to meet John’s gaze. Laurens went quiet for a second and looked at Angelica. The woman didn’t offer anything, watching to see what John chose to do. He nodded with his decision and said, “Okay. Well, if you do want to be a girl, I just want you to know that that’s perfectly fine.” His son looked nervously at his face, almost like he didn’t believe him. Laurens continued, “Do you remember Lafayette? You met him once, he’s the French one.” The young boy nodded, “Well, Lafayette is sometimes a girl, and we all love him very much.” He finished solemnly. He walked around the table and knelt down in front of his son, “So, I’ll ask you one more time, and if you still want to be a boy then I’ll let it be. Are you a girl?”

The kid looked up at him with nervous eyes, and then looked to Angelica, who kept her face passive. The child once more looked at John, “I want to be a girl.” She whispered.

He nodded, “Okay. That’s okay. What do you want to be called?”

“I w-want to be c-called Frances Eleanor.” Frances stumbled.

Angelica returned the smile and reached across the table, squeezing the girl’s hand lightly, “Frances Eleanor Laurens. That’s a beautiful name.” The girl blushed slightly at the praise.

Laurens agreed and got out of the booth, “Well, I’m glad that your mom gave you to me.” He winked at his daughter, “I get the chance to raise a beautiful girl with the three strongest women I know. We should go shopping for girl clothes.”

“Four.” Angelica reminded. Laurens looked at her blankly, “Don’t forget Lafayette.”

“Only sometimes. Sometimes they want to be a he.” He responded. He noticed his daughter watching with wide eyes and asked, “Do you want to call Alex and let him know that you’re living with us, or do you want me to?”

She grinned, having met Alex once before and adopting him as her father. Alex muttered something about wanting a daughter jokingly. Well, now the jokes on him, “I wanna call him.” Her dad chuckled and handed her his phone, knowing that she didn’t have one because Martha doesn’t like giving their child anything that’s not a necessity. Alex must have picked up fairly quickly because the child brightened and said, “I’m a girl and I’m moving in with you.” She announced quickly, then hung up the phone without waiting for a response.

Angelica burst into laughter, “That’s how you do it! It’s always best to keep Alex guessing.” They were out of the store before Angelica stopped walking, her face dropping, “We brought the motorcycle.”

Laurens and Frances looked at her. Angelica explained, “There’s not enough room for Franny. We weren’t expecting to get a  _ child. _ ” 

“Taxi?” Laurens suggested.

“What are we going to do with the motorcycle?”

Frances piped up, “Why don’t you call one of the other people you’re dating?” 

Angelica thought about it, “I think Hercules is at work. Do you think he’d be willing to come get you two so I can take the bike home and get a car.”

Laurens frowned, “I think we should just stay home for the rest of the day. I want Frances to go clothes shopping with you and your sisters. Maybe Lafayette depending on his mood.”

Angelica nodded and pulled out her phone to call Hercules, “Sounds good.” She said to John. Mulligan picked up on the third ring and Angelica requested, “Hey can you come get Laurens and Frances, we’re kinda stranded at McDonald’s.” 

“Who’s Frances?” Mulligan’s gruff voice replied, and Angelica heard the ding of the door of the shop, letting her know that he was leaving.

Angelica answered, “John’s daughter.”

“John has a daughter too?” He had been under the impression that Laurens only had one child.

“No, just one daughter.”

“I thought he had a son.” Was there something he was missing?

“So did we, but it turns out he has a daughter.” Angelica answered, deciding not to explain the situation, just let them know what’s going on. It’s what they do to Alex.

Mulligan went quiet on the other end of the line, “Which McDonald's?” Angelica told him and he said, “Be there in ten.” Before hanging up the phone. 

Angelica relayed the message, “He’ll be here in ten.” Laurens sighed and sat down. The two ladies followed his lead. Frances talked while they waiting, letting her new parents know what was going on in her life. Apparently she was homeschooled, so they were going to have to enroll her in some private school around town. That would be something to think about another time. 

For now they just enjoyed sitting together and talking about little things. Laurens didn’t talk much, preferring to watch two of his favorite women. He hoped that Frances grew to be close to Angelica. She could use a good female role model after growing up with the mother that she did. He could tell that his daughter wasn’t expecting the acceptance that she got, but if everyone could accept Lafayette then Frances wouldn’t be a problem.

In fact, Laurens was certain that his daughter would be very welcome. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whaaat? Three chapters in three days? Who is this strange author?  
> Also, for those curious I knew that Laurens had a daughter when I first introduced his "son" but I wanted to do something a little special. So here ya go! John Laurens' daughter!


	30. The One with the Laurens Interlude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was originally not going to happen at all, and it is very short, but I had a full chapter to burn and you guys deserve a treat.

_"That_ is a child.” Were Hamilton’s first words upon entering the house. Eliza and Lafayette poked their heads in after him. Peggy walked in, shoving them out of the way, and sat down on the couch. Eliza blinked down at Frances, while Frances stared at Lafayette.

Angelica didn’t look up from the card game she was playing with Laurens and Mulligan in the middle of the floor as she responded, “ _You’re_ an adult. Are we done stating the obvious?”

Hamilton ignored the quip and pressed, “ _Why_ do you have a child?”

This time Laurens spoke up, not looking up from the game either and sounding rather distracted, “Haven’t you ever heard the story of the birds and the bees?”

“Even _I’ve_ heard that story.” Frances said, turning her attention away from Lafayette and to Alex.

Alex rolled his eyes, “Okay let me rephrase that. Why is Laurens’ child living with us?” The three members playing the card game all looked at him simultaneously. Laurens sat up from his position on his stomach and held his hand out to Frances in the silent command for the child to walk to him.

He began to explain to the newly arrived group, “My daughter used to be my son before she told us that she was actually a she. Martha didn’t like that so she ditched her onto us. Angelica has grown attached and now we all have a daughter.” Silence followed the explanation for enough time that Frances began to squirm under the attention.

Eventually it was Lafayette who spoke up, “You’re lucky you have a dad as good as John. When I told my parents that I’m genderfluid they both abandoned me.” That melted the tension in the room and Frances left her father in favor of standing in front of Lafayette.

“But then, why are you so proud of who you are now?” She wondered. Lafayette knelt down and took her hands in his own. Alexander walked around the two and sat down next to Angelica, placing his head in her lap. Eliza followed but instead elected to sit in Mulligan’s lap. No one was using the perfectly good furniture except for Peggy.

“Well, it’s a long story. It took my parents several years to fully abandon me. For awhile they forced me to be a girl and only referred to me in the female pronoun. One day when you’re older I’ll tell you the full story, oui?” Lafayette paused and licked his lips, “Well when I finally escaped that house and came to America, it was Alexander who finally accepted me for who I am. It was Alex who showed me that no matter what I prefer to be called or who I prefer to love I’m still worth being loved.”

“You’re welcome buddy.” Alex said, closing his eyes as he felt Angelica begin to pet his hair. That earned him a light smack on the arm from Angelica, but other than that she continued what she was doing.

Frances had turned to look at Alex while Lafayette was talking and when he was finished she asked, “So even if Pa didn’t accept me, you would have?”

Alex didn’t even look at the girl while he replied, “Sure. You’re no different from everyone else here.” He paused and then said, “Except maybe Mulligan. I hear the dude bangs horses.” Frances’ eyes widened and Alex got smacked much harder by Angelica.

Once the little girl started giggling so too did the rest of the group.


	31. The One with the Girl's Day Out

Angelica was the first one to wake up. She always hated sleeping on the couch, it’s too lumpy for her and she never feels like she could get a full night’s sleep. Unfortunately everyone in this relationship was equal, so that means that once in awhile she’d need to sleep on the couch. This time it was fine, because Hercules was sleeping with her on the couch and she basically used him as a human pillow/bed. 

She rolled off of him and went to the shared closet that the girls and sometimes Lafayette used. She grabbed a pair of jeans, a tie dye shirt, a pair of sneakers, and a leather jacket. After staring at her choices and thinking carefully, she put those back and instead grabbed a light pink tank top, short light blue jean shorts, and black flats.

She went into the bathroom to change and upon examining herself in the mirror nodded to herself, satisfied that she would look great for what she had planned today. She hoped that Eliza and Peggy didn’t have anything going on.

Upon walking out of the bathroom she bumped into Alex, and smirked as he not so subtly checked her out, “Do I look okay?” She asked him, sarcasm dripping out of her voice. 

Ignoring the sarcasm Alex answered, “You always do.” He paused and dropped his gaze once more before saying, “But I like what you have going on today. Any special plans?” 

“Yes.” Angelica answered, not bothering to tell him what they are. Alex laughed and walked past her into the bathroom himself. After a minute she heard the shower being to run and shook her head, opting to go into the kitchen instead of joining him.

In the kitchen she found Peggy with Lafayette and Frances. Peggy was frying some eggs while Frances told a story. Angelica couldn’t really follow the girl’s plotline but it didn’t matter. She was just happy that the kid was comfortable enough to talk freely here. 

Upon spotting her Frances grinned, “Angie!” Angelica laughed and ruffled her hair. Frances continued, “I was just telling them about my old friend. The one that died.”

“Morbid.” Angelica commented solemnly. Frances grinned.

“I know, right? Anyway Mom didn’t tell me right away that he died, so I went two whole months thinking that he just started to hate me.” Frances’s gaze wandered from Angelica to Peggy as the girl finished making the eggs and put them on a plate.

“Take that into the dining room.” She commanded. Frances grinned and hugged Peggy, thanking her for cooking, before taking the plate and rushing to the table. 

Angelica gave Peggy and Lafayette a curious look before checking, “So what did you determine from your trip to Mount Vernon?”

Peggy started two more eggs while she talked, scrambling them for Eliza, “We decided that Mount Vernon is definitely a good idea for the summer, but it’s too far away for us to continue working in New York.”

Lafayette continued, “So we’re going to be moving into the Washingtons’ New York home until either Alex loses his job or feels content enough to take a summer off.”

Angelica commented, “Summer is only a month away.” While leaning against the counter. She continued thoughtfully, “Can you imagine we’ve almost been together for a whole year.”

“When did Alex and Eliza meet?” Peggy asked, looked over at her oldest sister curiously. Lafayette grabbed pepper from the spice rack and sprinkled a little in there, knowing from experience that Eliza likes it cooked in not put in afterwards.

Angelica had to think about that answer, “I think it was two weeks from tomorrow.” 

Lafayette commented, “Then that’s when they should have the wedding.” 

Peggy squealed, “That’s a good way to make an anniversary memorable.” Angelica nodded and turned around. She grabbed a cup from the cabinet and walked over to the fridge, electing to drink something other than her choice of beverage, which her boyfriends and sisters continued to steal. 

As she poured her milk she said, “I’ll mention it to Alex and see what he thinks.” After she put away the milk she asked Lafayette, “What are you feeling today?” 

He gave a curious look but answered anyway, “Feminine. Why?” Normally Angelica doesn’t ask, but Lafayette hasn’t changed from their bedtime clothes and gave Angelica absolutely no hints.

Instead of answering the question directly Angelica asked another one of her own, “What are you plans today? This is for you too, Peggy.”

Peggy laughed and put Eliza’s scrambled eggs on the awaiting porcelain plate, “I imagine I’m doing whatever you have planned today.” 

“I was going to help Alex move our stuff into our new house today, but I think I’d have more fun doing what you want me to do.” Lafayette answered.

Angelica grinned and took a sip of her milk, “I want to take Frances out on a girls only day around the city today. I know that she has nothing going on today and wanted to spend some quality time with our new daughter.”

Peggy flipped the egg that she was making over-easy, probably for Alex, and said, “I’m in. I think it could be fun.”

“Is Eliza coming too?” Lafayette asked as said Schuyler sister walked in from the dining room.

“Coming where?” She asked, grabbing two cans of Root Beer from the fridge and ignoring Angelica’s withering look. They all know that she doesn’t like it when they take her stuff, yet they continue to do it anyway. It was probably because Angelica would never forbid them from doing it, and they liked to mess with her. Still… every time it looked like Angelica was running low somehow more magically appeared in the fridge. Angelica hasn’t bought any for herself since she moved in. 

Peggy answered as she grabbed the paprika, “On a girls only day with Frances, me, Angie, and Laf.” 

Eliza nodded as she left the room, calling behind her, “Sounds fun.” Angelica grabbed the plate from Peggy, opting to take it to Alex herself as her youngest sister began making her own plate. 

Alex was talking with Frances, telling her some story from the war, as Angelica entered and set the food down in front of him. Frances seemed to be listening intently.

Angelica asked, “Are you telling our daughter anything gruesome or graphic?”

Alex nodded, “Yeah. I’m telling her about the time that Laurens and Lafayette went skinny dipping and somehow found the enemy base. I’m not entirely sure how but I guess they swam quite a-ways up the river. Washington was shocked when they came back to our main house dripping wet and naked with information leading to the us driving the British back a state.” 

Laurens rolled his eyes, “Yeah, but that stories not nearly as interesting as the one where you were doing some mission out on the ships with General Lee and they had to retreat while you stayed on the ship. Lee was convinced that you had died, so he came back and reported your death to me and the rest of Washington’s family. We were in the middle of mourning you when you appeared in the doorway with a flash of lightening, sopping wet from the rain and swimming back to shore, and just strolled in and took your seat in between Lafayette and Washington.” Frances watched their playful banter with wide eyes.

Angelica shook her head and sighed, “Well I’m glad you’re not dead. Frances, today the girls and myself are taking you around the city to do some shopping and other things. Be ready to go in half an hour.” Eliza stood up and excused herself before walking out of the dining room and into the living room. Probably to go get dressed herself.

Alex turned to watch his fiance leave before looking back at Angelica, “So it’ll just be me, Mulligan, and Laurens moving us?”

Angelica nodded in confirmation as Peggy brought out her plate. As the eldest Schuyler sister ate the rest of the group set to leave today got dressed. 

Eliza was the first one to return to the table, picking an apple out of the first bowl and eating it while Angelica finished her meal. She was wearing a peach cardigan, a white tank top with a floral pattern going diagonally down the middle of it, light blue skinny jeans, and tan flats. Her hair fell loose at her shoulders. 

As Peggy came in she eyed Eliza’s long hair before disappearing for a moment. She returned with a hairbrush and hair tie and set about braiding Eliza’s hair. The youngest Schuyler sister was wearing a white crop top, a baby blue jean jacket that remained unzipped, light pink skinny jeans with a brown belt looped through them, and brown boots that tied rather than zipped. Angelica watched the girl work before asked, “Did you already eat?”

Peggy nodded in confirmation, “I ate before I made everyone else’s food. The only one who hasn’t eaten anything yet is Hercules, who doesn’t even like eggs. There’s pizza in the fridge for him to reheat.” Angelica bobbed her head once, accepting that answer. One time, a very long time ago, Peggy had herself convinced that she was fat and tried not eating for days. Eliza, having nowhere else to turn, went straight to Angelica. Angelica marched her way back home, sat Peggy down, and let her know just how beautiful she truly is. 

Back then Angelica didn’t know how Peggy could think that she needed to change, but now she understood just who was calling the shots for Peggy in her old relationship. 

Angelica got up to put her plate in the kitchen, and as she returned she noticed that Lafayette had taken her seat. They were wearing black skinny jeans, a black sweater with a floral pattern, and tan boots. Frances was helping Peggy finish up Eliza’s hair. The youngest girl was wearing her normal boy clothes. Which reminded Angelica that that was one of the things that they needed to buy. 

She clapped her hands together, getting the attention of all of the girls in the room, “Are we ready to go?” At their nods of confirmation she continued, “Who has the keys.” It was Peggy who flashed them so she would be the one driving. 

As they got in the car, Angelica up front with Peggy, the youngest girl pulled out of the driveway and asked, “So where are we heading?”

Angelica hooked her phone up to the aux chord as she answered, “Clothes shopping first. Let’s get the necessity out of the way before getting to the fun stuff.” She turned her head to look at Frances, “I have two questions for you: What kind of music do you like to listen to, and what kind of clothes do you want to wear?”

Frances answered in order, “I like Disney music and I want something like Miss Eliza.” Angelica nodded and started playing her Disney playlist as they drove to the mall. 

They were lucky that they found a good parking spot near the front. They won’t have to walk far when carrying all of their stuff. Angelica quickly checked the amount of money she had in her wallet as they walked through the front doors. She had about three-hundred dollars to spend on clothes this time, so they’ll skip accessories and maybe only buy two pairs of shoes. The walked into JC Penny and somehow managed to find everything they wanted in that one store. 

Frances only got one pair of shoes, but they were nice little black boots. She got three pairs of jeans, two cardigans, and five shirts. Before picking everything that Frances wanted, the little girl looked at Eliza, just to be sure that it was something she should get. 

They walked out of the store after half an hour, and for a moment Peggy forgot where she parked. It was Lafayette who remembered, so Peggy just gave them the keys, admitting defeat in this one thing. Secretly though, she just wanted to take her turn sitting with Frances. 

Lafayette pulled out of the parking lot and looked to Angelica, who started playing music from The Little Mermaid, “Where to now?” 

Angelica paused in her singing along to answer, “Take us to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We won’t be able to see  _ everything _ , but there are a couple of things that I really want us to see there.” 

The group soon found out that a couple of things meant two hours in Angelica speak. It was already ten o’clock by the time they finished walking around. Frances looked at everything with wide eyes and asked the girls a plethora of questions. Questions like ‘which exhibit is your favorite?’ and ‘how many times have you been here?’. They didn’t mind answering the questions, after all Frances isn’t used to the city yet. 

Peggy was the next person to determine where they went, requesting, “Can we go to Times Square?” 

Eliza protested, “Times Square is too much. I prefer someplace quieter, preferably without thousands of people and lots of bright signs.”

Angelica made the decision, “We will go so Frances can say that she’s been. Eliza, you can pick where we go next.” In the end, Frances sided with Eliza. Times Square is just too much sensory overload, but she was grateful for the chance to have gone. 

After Times Square, Eliza put in her request, “Let’s go to the Empire State Building. I don’t want us to go all the way to the top, but I want us to go.” In the end they did go all the way to the top. Frances wanted to see what it was like, and Angelica couldn’t find it in her heart to say no. 

It was time for lunch when they got done, so they went simple and just went to the nearest pizza place. It happened to be Di Farra Pizza. This was also the day that Frances had her first pizza-gasm. 

They ended the day with a request from Lafayette, to go and watch a broadway show. Frances got to pick which one they go see, and she determined that she had always wanted to watch Phantom of the Opera. Normally, they would have needed to get their tickets ahead of time, but Angelica had connections with the owner of the theater. The seats weren’t the best but they were available seats.

They went home at around four in the afternoon. Frances was talking excitedly to Eliza, “So then next time we need to go to the Statue of Liberty!” She had noticed that there really wasn’t enough time to see every single thing in a day, and had determined that the only logical solution was to go some more.

Still, Eliza wasn’t going to say no. As Angelica watched her younger sister’s interaction with the young girl she could help but think that one day Eliza would make the world’s best mother. She hoped that Alex would agree with that and did something about it. Eliza’s always wanted kids, even when they were little. Eliza was the mother, Peggy was the pet turtle, and Angelica was the sister. 

Angelica turned and looked at Lafayette, wondering briefly if they’ve ever considered children. Angelica knew nearly everyone else’s stance on it, but Lafayette never said. That would be a question for another day. For now Angelica turned up the radio and sang loudly with Peggy to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for those curious the group technically lives in New York City, even though Alex works in the capitol. He has this arrangement worked out with Washington that he could do his work from a computer, and would go to D.C. whenever he needs to be there in person. He almost never sleeps.


	32. The One with the Burrs

The street was silent as Alex paced back and forth, aside from his murmuring to himself as he talked his way out of a problem he’d run into. The grass was soft and dewy, and a faint breeze rustled his long hair which he had tied back this morning. He reached the end of the street and turned left, not paying attention to where he was going.

Alex had this problem, he couldn’t figure out a way to make his debt plan appealing to the south. Well, aside from the fact that it would boost America’s economy by one-hundred percent, but Southerners are too close-minded and all around bad people to realize that. George Washington was the only exception, Alex wasn’t sure how much he trusted Martha Washington, but Eliza’s fond of her so he’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say that she’s a neutral Southerner, not bad but not good. She owns slaves… but by that logic so does George… and technically Philip Schuyler.

Alex’s weird train of thought was cut off by the voice of one of his oldest friends, “Alexander!” He sounded happy to see him, but like a happy in a way that means “I have mixed feelings about you. You’re my friend but I can’t stand you because your personality is too much, so I’m just going to smile.”

Alex stopped walking, turned around, and returned the smile, his feelings being the same on that matter. His smile widened when he saw Theodosia with him, “Mister and Missus Burr, sir.” Burr didn’t say anything until he caught up with Hamilton, then the two old partners walked side-by-side.

Burr didn’t say anything, and neither did Theo. Hamilton guessed that they had the same view on the whole “don’t talk, smile more” stance. That’s fine though, because Hamilton does talk, “So how would you convince a bunch of children to agree with your opinion, without confusing them too much?” Burr raised an eyebrow at the analogy, but played along anyway.

He answered slowly, “You could always bribe them. Give them something that they’d like, and they’ll go along with anything.”

Alex snorted, “I can’t give Congress _candy_.” He paused at another corner and debated which way to turn. He decided to walk to the right this time.

Burr tried again, “Not all children love candy, especially when they already have it.” Alex gave his friend a weird look and Burr explained, “The south already has the capitol, so give them something else. Children like toys.” Alex tilted his face to the sky and closed his eyes, no longer walking. His mind raced as he thought about everything that he could possibly give to Congress.

He heard a throat clear but ignored it, too lost in his thoughts to continue talking to people. After a longer silence this time Burr said, “Actually, Theo and I would  like to talk to you about something… pretty important.”

Without looking at him, Alex asked, “Is it legal important or personal important?”

“Personal important.” Theo’s voice answered, which surprised Alex. He wasn’t sure he’d ever heard the woman talk. It surprised him enough that he lowered his face and turned to look at the couple. Theo continued and said something that threw Alex even more off-guard, “You should probably bring Eliza as well.”

“Umm..” Alex found himself at a loss on what to say, eventually deciding on, “Okay.” Yes, that sounds like the perfect thing to say. Why would _they_ want to talk to both him and _Eliza?_ The couple turned around and walked away while Alex’s mind was still racing.

Burr turned and called to him, “Let’s meet at the cafe where we met with Miss Manning for the first time.” Alex gave a weak thumbs up and pulled out his phone to call his fiance.

Her sleepy voice answered him, letting him know that he woke her up. He sucked but right now Alex didn’t really care, “Hey get dressed we’re going for breakfast with the Burrs.”

* * *

 

Eliza sat awkwardly as Alex led the conversation. The three were halfway through the meal and Eliza still couldn’t figure out why _she_ needed to be here.Eliza sat across from Theodosia in the inside of the booth, the two men on the outside. Alex seemed to have his attention directed entirely to Burr, and for a moment Eliza couldn’t tell if he was insulting him, flirting with him, or trying to convince him of something. She decided to go with all three.

While they talked, by they she meant Alex, the two women sipped at their drinks and watched each other. Eliza found Theo to be very pretty. She has warm brown skin, kind eyes, and long braided hair. She seemed like the type of person who Eliza would have a crush on but never work up the courage to actually talk to.

It was sad, really. Eliza is pretty sure that both of them are mono-amorous, so she doubted that she could date the pretty girl. Glancing at Alex as he basically held a conversation with himself, encouraged only by the occasional sound from Aaron. She could see that he enjoyed talking to the other, even though he couldn’t quite _argue_ like he wanted to.

Eliza found herself watching her fiance as he talked passionately, finding herself more and more attracted to him. His eyes lit up and his hands gestured furiously. Her eyes lingered on his fingers. Angelica told her one night while they stayed up with Martha drinking wine just how _good_ with his fingers Alex really is. Eliza had blushed and Martha laughed, stating that was interested in trying him, but not enough to go against her husband’s wishes.

So far, the only person in their little family who has not had sex with Alexander, who is available to have sex with Alexander, is Eliza. It’s not that he hasn’t made himself incredibly available to her, he _has_ , it’s just that she doesn’t feel like she’s ready. She’ll tell him that and every time he’ll back off and tell her that it’s fine. Later that night she’ll overhear him with someone else, and know that that _could_ have been her.

The others were beginning to pick up on the fact that Eliza isn’t comfortable enough to sleep with Alex. Before sleeping with him they’ve begun to go to Eliza and find out if she wanted to instead, with either of them. Eliza declined, but she was happy that they were thoughtful enough to try and include her in that intimate part of loving someone. Even Laurens, who Eliza was entirely platonic with, has offered himself. Any way to get her comfortable. She would be lying if she said that she never once considered it, but that would be too awkward. He’s her best friend.

She felt a hand touch the top of hers and snapped out of her train of thought to see Theo attempting to get her attention. Alex continued babbling away, oblivious to the lady wanting to talk. Eliza gently grabbed her fiance’s elbow, turning his attention from Burr to her. She gestured to the other Burr, and the woman began to talk. She glanced at her husband, “Aaron and I have been discussing this for… well since we saw you at the beach. The family dynamic that you have is so warm and inclusive, it’s very easy to feel welcome with you.”

Eliza and Alex glanced at each other as Aaron continued, “We understand that you all have an open relationship, with a few rules.” He paused before asking, “What are your rules?”

Alex was the one who answered, “Before dating anyone, Eliza or myself need to know about it. Don’t force anyone into anything that they don’t want to do.” He stopped himself and then shrugged, “We have a few more. It’s all basically just not to be a dick.”

Eliza continued the explanation, “An important rule for side-dating is if you need to choose between someone on the side and someone in the core relationship, you need to put one of us first.”

“How would someone go about becoming part of the core relationship?” Theo inquired.

Alex muttered, “We need to find a new name for that, that is just too long to say.”

Eliza ignored him as she answered, “Well, it would need to be discussed with both Alex and myself. If we both agree on it then we put it to a vote. The vote needs to be unanimous, but once it is they’re completely included with us.”

“And if they fail the unanimous vote, could it ever be tried again? Or could whomever wants to be with you just be a side-date and work their way up?” Aaron checked.

Eliza and Alex looked at each other again, this had never been mentioned. She wasn’t sure who would be so interested in them that they’d want to try _that_ hard. It was Alex who answered, “Uhm, I guess that they’d have to wait like a month before trying again. In the meantime they could just date one of us, _if_ they really cared that much.”

Theo gazed into Eliza’s eyes as she asked, “Would it be possible for two people to be added into your core relationship at the same time?” Eliza mouthed ‘two people’ before it dawned on her what the point of this meeting was about.

“You-” Eliza’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again, “You two want to join us?”

Alex looked as shocked as she felt, “I didn’t know that you were polyamorous.”

Burr looked at Alex like he just suggested that they have a very loud argument where they both spout their opinions and said, “That’s not really something that you bring up in casual conversation.” Well, he’s not wrong.

Eliza felt a smile form on her lips and she quickly grabbed one of Theo’s hands in both of hers, “I think we can make an exception for you two!” She said cheerfully. She looked at her fiance with pleading eyes until he sighed and gave in.

“Alright, we’ll put it to a vote.” Alex relented, “But I’m not promising anything. There are nine people who has to like you enough. And Lafayette isn’t your biggest fan.”

Theo offered, “They like _me_ , so I think we have a pretty good shot.” Burr was the one to pay for their meal, and the four walked together to their new home. Laurens was just about to leave with Peggy as they arrived, and were both a little confused when Alex requested that they wait just a little more before leaving. Lafayette wasn’t awake, so they flipped a coin and Eliza was the one to wake them up, offering a cup of coffee and a warm smile.

Everyone waited in the living room until Eliza and Laf entered, where Alex explained the situation, “So does everyone remember how I said nine was too much?” Angelica caught on immediately and she folded her arms across her chest. Alex continued, “Well, I changed my mind.”

Eliza interrupted, “I changed his mind.”

Aex rolled with it, “She changed my mind.” He repeated, “Anyway, we’re going to take a vote to see if the Burrs can join our core relationship.”

Laurens muttered, “We’re going to need a new name for that.” Unconsciously bringing up the same problem that Alex did.

Alex continued, “When we finish voting everyone can go about what they were already doing.”

The two won the vote on their first try. Alex wasn’t fond of how Laurens was the first to say yes, but it was playful upset. He didn’t mean it at all, after all, Alex was the second fastest person to say yes himself. But… he’s never been very good at saying no to pretty people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How many is this now? Like 11? Is that too many people? How many is too many?


	33. The One with the Contacts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey sorry for the late upload here's a chapter twice as long as the usual chapters <3

She didn’t remember what she was dreaming about, but she was sure it was a good dream. She was with someone she loved in the dream, they were spending time alone together. She had their full attention, which apparently was a weird thing while also being something delightful. The person’s attention made her feel giddy. That’s all she knew, but she wasn’t going to cling to the dream for too long. Only because of how she was woken up.

She felt pleasant pressure on her lips, soft and firm at once. It was new but she wasn’t objecting. Without being fully awake she understood two things, one of which is that there is someone hovering just above her, but not in a threatening way. It was an extremely welcome presence, so without opening her eyes she reached up and gently wrapped her arms around the person’s neck, pulling them closer to her.

At the person’s chuckle her eyes flickered open and she could help the smile that graced her features at the sight of her Alex. He touched his forehead to hers and looked at her with soft brown eyes. He whispered, “Good morning, my angel.” His warm breath ghosted over her face, that smelled like a mix of toothpaste and coffee. That was also a welcome thing.

Eliza lifted her chin once more to meet lips in a slow kiss. It didn’t get steamy, but it was perfect. She wondered vaguely if the person in her dream was Alexander, and decided that it must have been. He broke away from her to lean back just slightly. He looked down at her before leaning forward and brushing his nose against hers, “I’m just about to go to the capitol for a meeting, but I wanted to see you before I left.”

Without thinking Eliza blurted, “Can I come with you?” His eyes widened as he processed the request, and Eliza internally winced. Of course she couldn’t go with him, she wasn’t allowed in politics like that. Especially not in cabinet meeting. However…

Alex quickly rolled away from her and grabbed his phone, tossing it to her. He said shortly, “Call George and let him know you’re coming with, I’ll find you something to wear.” His brown eyes gleamed and he looked like he had an idea. Eliza was curious to know what he was planning.

She turned on his phone and a light blush covered her cheeks as she saw that his background photo was of her making a silly face at the camera. The President wasn’t on speed dial, but he was easy enough to find in Alex’s contacts. He had boring ones, no one had any silly names. She wanted to change that.

The President answered on the second ring, “Yes?” He sounded tired. Well not tired as in sleepy, but tired as in maybe Alex calls him a little too much to complain. She felt a fuzzy feeling in her chest as she thought about her fiance, but pushed that to the side so she could talk to the man.

She glanced over to the closet where Alex was deciding between two dresses, “It’s Eliza.”

The President sounded much less tired, “Eliza.” He sounded happy to talk to her, “What can I do for you? Why are you calling on Alex’s phone?”

She decided to answer the second question first, “He just sort of… threw it at me.” Alex glanced over at her and she winked at him. He laughed silently and blew her a kiss before putting away both dresses and pulled out two new ones.

“So you decided to call me?” He sounded amused.

“Sort of.” Eliza admitted, laughing, “Umm…” She paused and said to Alex, “The yellow one makes my skin look pasty.”

“What?” Washington sounded confused.

At the same time Alex gave her a weird look and said, “You look good in yellow.” He paused, “You look good in any color.”

“That pattern is weird, I’ve been meaning to get rid of it.” Into the phone she apologized, “I’m sorry, Alex is finding me something to wear. I’m supposed to let you know I’m coming to the cabinet meeting with him.” She wondered if that was okay and not Alex being impulsive.

There was a brief pause until the President said, “Why? You’ve never been interested in politics before.” That’s true, usually it’s Angelica who takes a fierce interest in Alexander’s career.

“I’m feeling clingy today.” Eliza confessed, once more catching Alex’s attention.

“Well you’re more than welcome to be here. You and Alex can stay with me for the weekend while you’re here.” He went silent as she heard some papers being moved about before he informed, “Martha will not be here though, it would only be the three of us.”

“As long as I’m with Alex I’ll be fine.” She assured.

“I’ll see you in about six hours. Stay safe.” The President wished, then hung up the phone. Eliza had turned around, with her back to her fiance, and when she turned back around she found him still staring at her.

“What?” She asked, her face heating up once more. Wordless Alex dropped the dresses he was holding and strode over to her, enveloping her in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and breathed deep, thankful that he was able to see what it was she wanted.

Perhaps it was the dream that made her get into this mood, but neither of them were objecting. It’s true that the two barely have any time to just be together. Their moment of being still in each other’s arms was broken by the sound of someone clearing their throat. The two turned to see Lafayette leaning against the doorway. Wordless he handed Alex a wad of cash before turning and leaving the room.

Alex glanced at the closet and the dresses on the floor before calling out, “Gilbert wait! Come back.” The sound of footsteps returning and then Lafayette’s curious gaze peeking at them, “Help me find something for Eliza to wear today. She’ll be joining us in the meeting today.”

Lafayette’s face lit up like a child’s on Christmas and he hustled into the room, “Can I also do her hair?” He paused and glanced into the closet, pulling out the yellow dress, “Didn’t I tell you to get rid of this.” He tossed it to Alex, “Dispose of it. Burn it. Eliza go take a shower. I’ll put the clothes you’re going to wearing on the counter when I find them.” Neither one moved and Lafayette snapped, effectively launching them into action.

The shower was a short one, and on top of the counter was an elegant black dress. Eliza easily slipped it on and looked at herself in the floor length mirror. Her wet hair clung to her back, but that wasn’t what she focused on. She’d never seen this dress in her life. The dress is floor length, and it’s mostly black except for the gold belt like thing around her waist, as well and that same sparkly gold going up the curve of her breasts and along the straps. It was extremely low cut, while somehow managing to be classy. The dress was tight at the top yet fell loose around the bottom.

She heard a knock at the door and turned to see Lafayette examining her with narrowed eyes, “Is this okay?” She checked nervously.

Lafayette said simply, “If Alex didn’t make it clear that he wanted to be your first I would make love to you right here.” He paused to let his word sink in before bustling in and grabbing the hair brush and blowdryer, “Now let’s see what I can do about your hair.”

He had her hair completely brushed out and dry within six minutes, a personal best. Afterwards he pulled her out of the large bathroom and to the living room, where he at her down on the couch and set about making her all pretty and stuff.

Laurens came in from the kitchen and stared at her with big eyes. Eliza shifted uncomfortably until he said, “I’m beginning to regret staying your friend.”

Eliza rolled her eyes, “You’ve seen me in dresses before.”

“Okay, casual dresses. What’s the occasion?” Laurens moved and at criss-cross on the floor in front of her so he could talk while Lafayette was doing whatever it was he was doing with her hair.

“I’m going with Alex.” She informed.

“To the meeting?” Laurens checked. At Eliza’s nod his eyes flickered behind her, “Hey Laf, how much did this dress cost?”

“Only four-hundred US dollars.” Came his casual reply that had Eliza choking on air.

“Four-hundred…?” She whispered, trying to think about how he came up with money for a _dress_.

“Oh yeah.” John looked back at Eliza, “Didn’t you know? Lafayette’s rich.” At her surprise he laughed and added, “Well how else do you think Alex can afford everything he does? Maintaining an eleven person relationship gets expensive.”

“It’s not too bad.” Lafayette commented distractedly.

“You’re opinion doesn’t matter.” John said joyfully, “You once bought an entire island of slaves, freed them, and paid for their education. Then you took Alex out to sushi.”

Lafayette laughed at the memory, “That was some of the best sex I ever had that night. You should have seen how happy Alex was when he heard what I did. John, hand me that bobby pin.” He did as told, and as he leaned forward his face was only four inches away from Eliza’s.He winked at her before backing off.

“Done!” The Frenchman exclaimed, he turned and left the room, returning moments later with a handheld mirror, “What do you think?” Eliza took the mirror and examined it carefully, only to find that she was rendered speechless. Her hair had a French braid going through it, but not in the normal spot. It went across the top of her head like a headband, and it was fairly thick too. Some bangs fell into her face but it looked like they were supposed to be there. Turning the mirror to the side she got a glimpse of the back of her head. Her long brown hair, instead of falling straight, fell down in waves. It shimmered healthily and looked very soft and easy to run a hand through. She had no idea how Lafayette had managed to do this in ten minutes.

“Hey, I’m all packed for the wee-. Wow.” Alex strode in from the adjacent hall and blinked at her, stupefied. She stood up and turned to him.

“How do I look?” She glanced at the other two boys when she asked this.

“Hot.” Laurens gave her a thumbs up then wandered into the kitchen to find food.

Lafayette smirked at her, “I did a good job, if I do say so myself.”

Alex didn’t say anything, only stared at her with his mouth slightly opened. It was as though his eyes couldn’t decide where to land. Eliza snapped her fingers, “Alexander?”

“Wow.” He repeated, which to him sounded the the only thing he could say. He turned to Lafayette and told him, “Good job, I’m definitely gonna show her off.”

That made Eliza suspicious, “What are you planning?” She narrowed her eyes.

Alex looked at her innocently, “It’s a good thing. I want to show the others that I have the best wife. Which means that you’re beautiful dressed up and dressed down.” He walked forward and took her hands into his, “They’ve all seen you in your casual attire, and doubted that you could do both. Plus,” He glanced at Lafayette, “This is technically a formal meeting. I mean we’re going to the White House for this meeting.” She understood why she had to dress like this but…

“We’re not married.” She informed, just in case he had forgotten.

Alex rolled his eyes, “Okay but we will be. Ooh yeah we need to invite everyone there _but_ John Adams. Two weeks from now, right?” He swiftly moved one of his hands from holding onto hers and instead wrapped it around her waist, pulling her flush against him, “I want them to see how much better I have it.”

Eliza laughed gleefully, “Alex you are a petty, petty man.” He shrugged, not looking the least bit guilty, “Are we ready to go? How long is the drive?”

“Yes we are, and it’s four to five hours depending on traffic.” He guided her out of the house calling behind him, “We’ll be back in a couple days, take care of Laf.”

Eliza smiled when she heard Laurens call back, “Okay, see ya.” Alex stumbled a little down the stairs, and Eliza reminded herself to one day find out why he does that. Not today though, she had something else she wanted to play with Alex.

He got held open the passenger side door for her and waited for her to climb in, afterwards he climbed into the driver’s side. As they pulled out Angelica peaked her head from around the side of the house. Eliza waved goodbye and Angelica grinned, returned the wave before disappearing.

She turned to Alex, “Hey can you hand me your phone?” He reached into his pocket and gave it to her, not looking, “I wanna play a game.”

“I don’t have too many games downloaded on that.” He informed, “You’d be better off with my computer.”

“Not that kind of game.” Eliza responded, “A people game.”

“Explain?” He requested.

“Your contacts are boring, I want us to change them according to your specific feelings about that person.” She informed.

Alex laughed, “Okay but then we’ll need to play that game with you. We can trade in an hour and while you drive I get _your_ phone.”

“Deal.” She unlocked the phone and went to the contacts, “We’ll go in order. Angelica.”

“Um.. uh….” He paused and glanced at her, “That’s a hard one.”

“Just whatever comes to mind.” Eliza encouraged, very curious to know what nicknames he would give to all of them.

Alex considered it before decided, “Soulmate.”

“Soulmate.” Eliza repeated. He nodded and she put it in, “Next one… Burr. Why is he the only one who’s name you used is his last name?”

“I thought I used John’s name as Laurens? Also Laf is just Lafayette.” He frowned.

“No you have it as J. Laurens.” She corrected, “But I guess it doesn’t matter. What is Burr’s nickname?”

“Talk less.” Eliza laughed at that and Alex explained, “He’s alway telling me to shut up, only he phrases it nicely.”

“You _do_ tend to talk a _lot”_ She reminded and Alex joined her in laughing.

“Yeah, I guess I do. Who’s next?”

“Me.”

He glanced at her while saying, “Wife.” For some reason she liked that more than soulmate.

“Right answer.” She approved. He laughed and she continued, “By the way we’re only doing this for people I actually know.”

“I figured.” He responded, “Hey do you want a drink? We can go through like a McDonald’s and get a couple of large drinks.”

“I’m down for that.” She answered, always agreeable, “But I’ll also demand fries.”

“That’s fair.” Alex placed their orders, having memorized what she likes, and got a large fry for them to share, “Who’s next?” He asked.

She slurped on her cherry limeade before informing, “Frances.”

“Child.” That was simple. Alex blindly reached for a fry and she handed him a floppy one, because she loves him.

“George Washington.”

“Not his son.” He didn’t even stop to think about that, and Eliza snickered a little, “Does he still call you son?”

“Oh yeah.” Alex griped, “It’s a little weird now that we’re together but I guess it’s always been weird.”

That brought up something that had been on Eliza’s mind, “Have you two...um… y’know?”

“Had sex?” Alex checked bluntly, “Not yet. Maybe this weekend, unless you want to do anything with either of us.”

“I heard that you called dibs.”

“I did call dibs, but you’re a person and I want to make sure you have a say in it too.” Alex clarified.

Eliza smiled and looked down at the phone, “Not until the wedding.” She mumbled, “Hercules Mulligan.”

“Just his name, but like in all caps.” Eliza laughed again, before rolling down the window. She wanted to feel the wind in her hair. Alex got the hint and rolled down his window too. He turned on the radio and turned it up very loudly so the two could take a break in the game to jam out.

After a song Eliza called, “J. Laurens.”

“Just put a heart emoji.” Alex responded.

Eliza giggled, “That’s what he is in my phone too.” She still had to call to be heard over the radio, but that was fine. One of the things that Alex and Eliza could bond over most was their love for the others, especially for John. It doesn’t matter that it’s two different types of love, it’s the same amount, “John Adams.”

Alex made a disgusted sound in his throat and Eliza laughed, “How do you spell that?”

He joined her in her laughter again and informed, “That would be c-h-j-u-h-l-k-s-c-h.” Strangely that spelled out the exact sound that he made, once more impressing Eliza with his knowledge of the English language.

“I love you.” She informed him, as though it were a fact that she’s been taught her entire life, “I am so in love with you.”

“Okay but hold onto that thought and hear me out. I love you too, but like twice as much.” He informed, deciding to one-up her.

“That’s not possible. I love you more than I love dogs.” He gasped, absolutely scandalized.

“I love you more than I love war.” Eliza repeated his gasp.

“I love you more than you love writing.” Eliza shot back, not entirely sure why they were competing but going with it anyway.

“I love you more than you love Lafayette.” She _does_ love Lafayette.

Speaking of Lafayette, “Okay hold onto that thought because he’s next in your contacts.”

“Just put him as ‘French’.” Alex instructed.

“I love you more than you hate John Adams.” Eliza finally made her response.

“Wow. You must really love me.” Alex commented, turning down the music so he wouldn’t have to shout, “I still love you more though.” Eliza wasn’t sure how that was possible, so she silently agreed to disagree.

“Madison is next, someone else who’s last name you used.” She informed, scrolling up to count. He only used two people’s last name, Lafayette doesn’t count because that’s not _technically_ his last name. It’s more like a title or something.

“Sick a-f.” They paused once more to sing, this time for longer than they had previously.

“Martha Manning.”

“Bitch.” His responses have begun to get quicker and quicker with each answer, leaving Eliza once more in awe of his wit.

“Martha Washington.”

“Call only.”

“Lastly, Peggy Schuyler.” He used her nickname, but maybe that’s because that’s what she always answers to.

“Prettier than me.”

“These are all spot on.” Eliza commented, handing him back his phone and pulling hers out. She handed it to him, and he pulled into an empty parking lot so they could trade positions when they finally reached the halfway point.

As Eliza pulled onto the highway Alex began, deciding to do the same ones that she made him do. Hers were a little different but still fairly boring.

“Angelica.” He decided to skip Laurens, who was technically first because he was just a heart emoji.

“Sister number one.” Eliza had already thought most of these answers out, so her responses came a little quicker.

“Burr.”

“Male Burr.” He turned to stare at her and she explained, “You’ll see. I have these planned out.”

Alex chuckled, “Alright, I’ll trust you. Frances.”

“Child.” She liked his nickname for her so that’s what she’s using too.

“George Washington.”

“Mister President.”

“Yours are much more friendly than mine are.” Alex observed.

“I’m much more friendly than you are.” Eliza reminded him. Alex laughed and Eliza prodded, “Who’s next?”

“...Hammie? Is that me?”

“It was. It’s a cute nickname.” Eliza defended, before waving the issue away with her hand, “Anyway instead put-”

He cut her off, “I’ve never heard of Hammie.”

“Everyone uses it.” Eliza told him, “Albeit, you’re never around when we do, but we use it. It’s affectionate. We affection you.”

“Not sure that’s a verb…” Alex muttered.

“Alexander just change your nickname to Hubby.” His face went from upset to giddy in point two seconds, looking at her like she had just told him that John Adams got a heart attack and died and also his debt plan passed.

He did as asked then moved on, “Hercules.”

“Just his name, but in all caps.” She reiterated.

“Like you’re shouting it.” Alex mumbled to himself, then moved on, “Laf.”

“Prettier than me.” She used his answer for Peggy, having a different idea for that.

“No one’s prettier than you.” Alex sounded offended. At her glance he huffed out, “Fine. Martha. I’m assuming this is Washington.”

“You assume correct.” She acknowledged, “Put President’s boss.”

“Too true.” Alex muttered.

“Are you just going to have commentary for all of my answers?” Eliza checked. Alex shrugged, neither confirming nor denying that.

“Peggy.”

“Sister number two.”

“Theo.” He didn’t comment on the other, although that may have just been him being stubborn.

“Female Burr.”

“Okay, I get it now. Male Burr and Female Burr.” Alex nodded his head, satisfied, “I’m surprised I didn’t get that sooner.”

“I’m surprised too. Which way do I turn to get to the White House?” Alex gave her instructions to the rest of the way there. Waiting for them outside was none other than the President himself.

He commented, “Eliza drove. Son, are you getting lazy.”

Alex countered, “I’m not your son.”

Ignoring him, Eliza walked forward and gave the man a hug, which he returned. She told him, “It’s good to see you.” And actually meaning it.

He pulled back and looked her up and down, “It’s good to see you too. I figured Alex wanted to show you off.”

“I _am_ the one with the prettiest wife.” He watched wearily as the slaves bustled about grabbing his things and taking them to the room that he usually occupies.

“Did I miss the wedding?” Washington looked at the both of them and Eliza shook her head, gently jabbing Alex in the ribs with her elbow.

“No, Alex just likes the idea of it.” She explained.

“Don’t you?” Alex argued. Eliza didn’t respond, not entirely sure what he was arguing about. Boy, does that man need someone who will argue with him about nothing. His brain is getting restless.

Washington held out a hand for Eliza and she took it. He lead her inside with Alex trailing behind, “The meeting is just about to begin, hopefully with you here he’s going to argue less and maybe we can get something done without anyone wanting to shoot him.”

“You know Alex.” She reminded gently and the president sighed.

“Unfortunately. Hopefully someone comes along that can match his wit. Lord knows that boy needs it.”

“Angelica can match my wit.” Alex argued once more. There was something about being at work that got Alex in a fighty mood.

“Angelica doesn’t like to try.” Eliza told him softly, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his argument. He sensed that and so he stopped talking, though he silently agreed with Washington. If he just had someone he could fight…

Upon entering the room the three had to wait while the cabinet members gushed over Eliza, and Alex had to stop several of them from hitting on her. She sat down next to James Madison and the meeting began.

It only went on for half an hour, ending when Alex refused to compromise on the subject of slavery. That was not a topic that was going to be solved easily. While Alex argued with Adams Eliza turned her attention to the senator.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you here?” She didn’t think that congressmen were generally invited to this type of thing.

Madison wasn’t offended and answered her question after coughing into a handkerchief, “I’m sitting in for Jefferson.”

Eliza perked up at hearing his name, “Oh right! Isn’t he coming home soon?”

Madison eyes her reaction wearily, “A little over nine months from now. Why are you excited?”

“Well, my sister and I have something to request from him.”

“Is it about the final draft of the declaration? Because he’s not going to add slaves into it, no matter how much Hamilton argues with me.”

“It’s actually about adding women to it.” Eliza turned to give the senator her full attention, knowing that this could be her only chance to plant the idea. Also she’d heard that Madison and Jefferson are _very_ close, “I know that we’re technically as free as men, but we aren’t included as having the same amount of rights and freedoms. If we were added into the constitution…”

“You seem to be doing okay.” He didn’t seem completely against the idea. Eliza decided to push a little further.

“Only because Alex, who technically owns me, is very liberal with this type of thing. If he didn’t see me as an equal I wouldn’t be like this.”

Madison looked over at Hamilton and coughed again. He turned back to Eliza to say, “I’ll mention it to him.”

She couldn’t help the smile that overtook her features and she reached out to hug him before stopping herself, “Thank you.” She said instead. She turned to watch Alex argue with a different secretary before being reminded of something, “Oh right!” She turned to look at Madison, “I meant to invite you to my wedding! Alex wants everyone except Adams there.”

“You’re marrying a child.” Madison comment, be amending, “I’ll try to be there. When is it?”

“Two weeks from today.” Eliza explained, before hearing her stomach growl. She stood up and excused herself, deciding to leave the meeting early to go find food. This is Washington’s house, so she knew she was more than welcome to the food.

When the meeting ended and people began to leave Alex remembered to invite the others, but only once Madison quietly reminded him. Alex winked once at the senator as he left, and Madison sighed and ignored his antics, not really wanting to put the effort into it.

As the last of them left Alex found his fiance in their shared room. She gave him a look and held out the lingerie and he had pack. He laughed, “What, can’t I hope?”

“You need to wait until our wedding night.”

“Do you promise?” He took several steps to stand in front of her, taking the fabric out of her hands, “Do you promise that you’ll let me make love to you?”

“I promise.” Eliza told him earnestly. Alex laughed victoriously and tackled her backwards onto the bed. Eliza joined him in his laughter and the two laid together until the President summoned them into his private office for casual conversation.

Alex was much less fighty now that the workday was over, and the three stayed late talking about anything that came to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is fighty an adjective? I feel like it should be an adjective...


	34. The One with the Wedding Preparations

Angelica threw open the door to Hamilton’s office and watched him work with an unamused expression on her face and her arms folded across her chest. He turned in his chair to look at her and his mind raced with anything that he could have done to upset her. Eventually she said, “You’re late.”

Still he couldn’t think of anything so he asked, “For what?” His voice didn’t come out nearly as worried as he felt.

“Family meeting. You’re the only one who hasn’t shown up yet. Even _Washington_ is here.” Hamilton’s mouth made an ‘o’ shape before he turned back to his desk.

He waved her off, “I have too much to do. Just… Eliza’s in charge. Let me know what you all decide.” Angelica didn’t move, so Alex sighed and turned back to her. Her gaze held his in a battle of wits that only Angelica could win.

Eventually she said, “You’re coming. It’s about the wedding.” She paused and gave him a mischievous smirk, “Unless, of course, you want someone _else_ to marry Eliza. I’m sure Lafayette or… Burr wouldn’t mind.” Alex abruptly stood up and left his office, forgetting to save what was on his computer. Angelica let him pass her before she walked in and saved everything before turning off his computer.

Upon entering the living room Angelica found everyone in the spot she had left them. Lafayette sitting on Washington’s lap in the chair, Peggy laying on the floor with her head in Laurens’ lap, the Burrs standing against the wall, with Aaron’s arms around Theo. The only thing that had changed was Eliza, instead of sitting on the couch she had been placed in Alex’s lap, probably by Alex himself. Angelica took her seat between Mulligan and Martha in front of the couch.

Angelica cleared her throat and began the meeting, “The wedding is in one week and we have absolutely nothing planned. We need everyone to have their own role in the wedding-”

Alex raised his hand, “Can I be the person who marries Eliza this time? John got to do it last time and it’s only fair.”

Lafayette was quick to look betrayed, “I wanted to marry Eliza….”

“You guys we all know that it’ll be me marrying Eliza. I’m the only one who has experience.” Laurens persuaded.

Angelica pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, “Alex is the groom, Eliza is the bride.” She paused for the slight grumbling and Alex’s victory whoop, “Alex who is your best man?”

“ _Shit_.”

“That’s not a name.” Peggy gently reminded him, lifting her head to appear more interested than she actually was.

Alex’s gaze searched the room, then focused on flickering back and forth between Laurens and Lafayette, “Um.. uh… yeah.”

It was Lafayette who decided for him, “I will not be upset if you don’t pick me.”

With that the decision was easy for Alex, “Laurens is my best man.” He looked proudly at Angelica, who did not look impressed.

“Shouldn’t you have had this figured out when you decided you were getting married?” Angelica would always find something to criticize him about. Alex shrugged, not looking the least bit sorry. She decided not to put the effort into an argument and moved on, “Eliza, who is your maid-of-honor?”

Eliza actually had her answer prepared, “When we were growing up you said that you would do it. Will you be my maid-of-honor?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Angelica answered, before pulling out her phone. She took a moment to open up the note pad and looked around the circle, “Who’s the flower girl?”

“Dibs.” Everyone slowly turned to look at Mulligan with his slightly raised hand, “Although we prefer the term flower pal. It’s nice and gender neutral to give everyone a chance.”

Angelica couldn’t think of any reason to turn him down, “... any objections?”

“I love the idea!” Eliza was enthusiastic, “Alex doesn’t get a say.” Alex didn’t look too concerned. He had found a hairbrush that had been left in one of the cushions and had taken to brushing his fiance’s hair.  

Angelica wrote down their flower person and looked back up, “Who are the rest of the bridesmaids?”

Eliza ran a list, “Peggy, Theo, Martha, and Lafayette.”

Angelica wrote those down, “And groomsmen?” Alex didn’t respond at first, having ditched the hairbrush in favor of playing with her hair with his hands, “Alexander.” Angelica snapped.

“Huh?” Alex looked up absentmindedly, “Oh. Washington, Burr, Madison, and Lafayette.”

“Lafayette was chosen by both of you.” Angelica reminded the two of them. The couple stared at her blankly and Angelica sighed, “Nevermind. Lafayette can choose what they want to be on the actual day of the wedding.”

“Madison?” Laurens interrupted, “As in James Madison?”

“Yeah, he’s chill.” Alex didn’t even look at the person he was talking to, and instead he had a hand over the side of the couch, “Hey I dropped the brush can you hand it to me?”

Laurens didn’t move, “No I will not. When did James Madison become ‘chill’? I’m not voting for him to join our relationship.”

“I still think we need a new word for that.” Alex muttered, not answering his question right away, “I’m not voting for him to join us either. It’s just… it was him who convinced me to forgive you for cheating on me.” That took Laurens aback and he didn’t raise another objection. Instead he reached over and handed the brush to Alex, receiving a brief touch on his hand from Alex’s index finger as the other man took the brush.

“Color theme?” Angelica decided that it would be best if they just moved on, “When we were young Eliza claimed to have wanted all summer colors. Is that still what you want?” Eliza nodded in affirmation, “Flowers?”

“I like roses and sunflowers.” Eliza murmured, “Is that okay with you, Alex?”

Alexander frowned, “I can’t think of anything wrong with that. I also want orchids and lilacs.”

Angelica continued, “Food? Father’s going to be paying for the catering, but we should probably narrow it down to simple stuff.”

“I like pasta. We can do fancy pasta.” Eliza looked at Alex, uncertainty written on her features, “I always wanted to have a big wedding but..”

“That’s fine. I like pasta too, just not like Mac and Cheese. That shit’s gross.” Alex made a disgusted face that caused Eliza to giggle.

“Okay, fancy pasta. We are having the wedding at Mount Vernon, right?” She looked at the President, who gave her a thumbs up, before directing her attention back at the bride and groom, “I want you both to send me an extensive guest list. Tonight I’ll ride my bike down to Mount Vernon and stay with Martha until the wedding so I can get set up.” Angelica immediately took on the role of being the wedding planner. Martha didn’t raise any objections, “Does anyone have anything extra to add?”

“Frances wants to be the ring bearer, but she wants to dress in a bear suit.” Laurens informed. Eliza squealed so Angelica took that as a good thing and she wrote it down.

“I’ll set up the cake and photographer later tonight.” Angelica muttered to herself, writing it down that that’s what she needed to remember, “I think that’s everything. I’ll go and pack, y’all can disperse amongst yourselves.” Angelica dismissed, and retired to the room.

One by one everyone went to be amongst themselves, until only the Washingtons, Lafayette, and Alex remained. Eliza said something about going to take a shower, Laurens and Hercules went to the garage to wait for Angelica, the Burrs left saying something about having dinner reservations, and Peggy went to help her sister pack. Alex sighed and pulled out his phone, deciding it best to get started making the guest list for Angelica. George watched this for a moment before informing, “Son-”

“Don’t call me son.”

“John Adams noticed that he was the only one who didn’t get an invitation to your wedding.” The President continued. Alex looked up from his phone for only enough time to shoot him a wink. George sighed but didn’t raise any objections. He had a feeling that Alex would do his best to annoy Adams as much as possible.

Angelica chose that as the moment to return with two bags, always being a fast and efficient packer. She handed her stuff to the President, said, “I’ll follow you on my bike.” And turned to go to the garage. The Washingtons gave their goodbyes to Alex and Lafayette before leaving.

Alex looked up from his phone and stared at Lafayette, “Why do I always feel empty when people start leaving? I get that they’ll be back but I feel so satisfied at having a full house and now it just feels… hollow.”

The Frenchman put his arm around Hamilton’s shoulders and brought him in for a hug, “Maybe we’ll _all_ need to live together.” Alex wrapped his arms around Lafayette’s waist and buried his face in his chest.

“Maybe.” He mumbled. He didn’t want to pressure anyone though, it’s just… he loved the all _so much_. He hated feeling lonely and being apart from even one of them for a long amount of time is enough to bring that horrid feeling back into his chest.

A gentle rap on the door frame broke the two men apart and Peggy watched them carefully, “Am I interrupted anything?” She checked.

“No, come in.” Hamilton responded.

“What’s up?” Lafayette sat down in the recliner and looked up at her as the girl walked further into the room.

She moved to the movie shelf and grabbed the first thing she saw, “Do you guys want to watch a movie or something? I’ve got nothing else going on…”

“I’m free to watch a movie.” Lafayette encouraged.

Alex sighed, “Unfortunately I need to go bury myself back in my office.” He excused, “So much to do, so little time. If you plan on doing a marathon being me out for the second movie, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Peggy called after his retreating back. She looked over at Lafayette and showed him the title that she’d grabbed, “Is this okay?”

“Looks perfect.” Lafayette didn’t see anything wrong with it. Peggy nodded and put it in the TV. She backed up, grabbing the remote with her, and sitting down on the sofa. An almost awkward silence ensued and Peggy realized that she rarely has any alone time with just Lafayette. She was saved by Laurens returning from the garage and placing himself on her left. Hercules sat on her right, effectively sandwiching her between two highly attractive men… she was not going to complain about that.

Laurens squinted at the television, “Are we watching Lord of the Rings? Sweet I’ll go get some popcorn.” He stood back up and went into the kitchen.

Lafayette called, “Bring drinks.” After him. Eliza returned shortly before Laurens did, her hair tied back in a bun behind her. She made herself comfortable on Mulligan’s lap.

“I’ve been thinking,” She began, “About what to call our core relationship, because that really is just a mouthful. Why don’t we just call it our family?”

“I like family.” Laurens encourage, bringing in several of Angelica’s Root Beers for everyone. He disappeared again, only to return with three different large bowls of popcorn. Lafayette and Peggy each got their own.

Eliza called it to a vote, “All in favor of Family, say aye!” The vote was unanimous and passed easily.

The small group wasted the rest of their evening sitting together and having a Lord of the Rings marathon. Alex made good on his promise, joining the and sitting in Lafayette’s lap during the second movie. Peggy couldn’t help the small smile that graced her features to see everyone here all come together.

She had witnessed Alex’s little emotional outburst to Lafayette and had to admit that she felt the same that he did. When you feel this much love flowing through everyone, it becomes addicting and intoxicating. Coming from a place where there was no love into this… it was quite a culture shock. Still, she wished that there would one day come a time where they could all move into a big house, preferably loser to the capitol so Alex wouldn’t need to be away for so long, and they could all live together in peace.

She doubted that day would ever come, but it felt nice to dream about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be prepared for another chapter to be uploaded tomorrow, (you might even get two tomorrow depending on if you've been good).  
> Would you like to see Lafayette become a bridesmaid or a groomsman?


	35. The One with the Three Tasks

If asked the following day, Burr wouldn’t be able to tell how he got roped into this. Not only was it the middle of the night, the following day being the wedding, but he was walking down a dimly lit New York street with Alexander Hamilton while the other man searched for a personally tailored wedding dress that Angelica trusted him to grab and  _ not lose. _

Burr stopped walking and watched Hamilton for a long moment. He appeared to be looking for it as though he’d dropped it. Knowing Hamilton… that was possible. Burr remembered a time in college where almost every time Hamilton got money he would lose his wallet the following day. 

Hamilton seemed to notice that Burr was no longer searching because he turned around and the two locked eyes, the shorter man’s eyebrows furrowed, “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be looking?” Burr debated arguing that it was pointless looking on the street and they should check all of the buildings that Hamilton took it too, but decided against it. He’d never been great at standing up to Hamilton’s mouth. So he started looking on the ground as well… for about four minutes. 

After four minutes had passed Hamilton sat down and admitted defeat, “Oh god. Angelica’s going to  _ kill _ me.” He groaned. He laid on his back and looked up at Burr, “It’s been a good run, my friend. This is where I die. I always thought it was going to be you who kills me… maybe you’d challenge me to a duel and shoot me and kill me because I didn’t vote for you to be president or something… That would trigger a whole series of events that somehow lead to a musical about my life being written and also maybe a milk commercial. It would be a rap musical and it would be glorious.”

“That sounds oddly specific.” Burr commented, sitting down on the moist grass next to Hamilton. Hamilton didn’t comment, only closed his eyes and waited for death by Schuyler sister. Burr never liked it when Alex began to get depressed, so he searched for something,  _ anything _ , that could fix this and cheer him up. As he thought about it his finger trailed along the curve of Alex’s nose, just like he used to do when they were roommates in college. He debated pulling out his phone and calling John, but decided that Alex wouldn’t want to get anyone else tied up in this mess.

As they were contemplating the next action to take Hamilton’s phone went off. Alex didn’t check the number calling when he answered, “Hello?” His voice sounded like he’d given up on life. Throughout the person on the other line’s explanation Hamilton because to get angrier and angrier. Before he could make a scathing remark, the person must have hung up. At Burr’s questioning look Alex snapped, “Adams fucking stole the dress. He told me where his hotel room is. Let’s go.” He lurched to his feet and once again began marching along the empty street, with Aaron trailing behind him. 

It was Abigail Adams who answered the door, and the woman didn’t look pleased or surprised to see them. She didn’t say a word, only backed up and let them in the room. John Adams sat at the table, and he looked happy that they came, “Hamilton.” He greeted.

“Shut up and tell me where my fiance’s dress is.” Alex snapped, stalking up to the table. Burr reached a hand out and gripped his boyfriend’s shoulder to stop him from fighting anyone.

John Adams looked behind them to his wife and she spoke up, “If you want the dress back  _ before _ the wedding tomorrow you’ll need to do three tasks for me.” 

“What are the three tasks?” Burr couldn’t believe Alex was willing to play along, but he assumed the man must be tired from all this running around.

The woman smiled, the smile not quite reaching her eyes, “I’ll tell you them one-by-one, after you finish each one, return to me and I’ll give you your next one. Upon completing the third and final task I’ll return the dress to you.” Alex didn’t reply, only waited to hear what the first task would be, “The first job is for you to invite me and my husband to your wedding tomorrow.”

Alex’s voice was emotionless, “You are invited to my wedding tomorrow.” Burr was surprised that he was keeping in his anger, then again if it’s for Eliza he knew that Alex would be willing to do anything. 

The woman seemed satisfied and she informed him, “We will not be attending, but it’s nice to feel wanted.” Burr saw Alex bit the inside of his cheek and he silently congratulated the man on his newly formed self-control, “Your second job is to go down to the convenience store and get a carton of cigarette and a package of beer.” Alex wordlessly left to do just that. Burr didn’t go with him, instead turned back to the people blackmailing them.

He considered saying something about it but erased the thought from his mind. Blackmail isn’t illegal, especially if it’s the vice-president doing it. Unfortunately Adams was not comfortable with the silence, “Since when did you start dating Hamilton?” He sounded accusatory. 

Burr wasn’t certain what he was being accused of, but he answered wearily anyway, “Almost a month ago I believe.” Time flew when he was having fun. He actually remembered a time in an empty subway car that he and Alex put on music and shameless danced, although the two were less than sober at the time. 

Adams snorted, “You’re lowering your standards.” He commented.

Burr only said, “Actually, I believe that he’s the one who’s lowering  _ his _ , sir.” Adams didn’t get a chance to respond because Alex had returned with the objects demanded of him. He waited silently for another task, and was moderately surprised to see Abigail pull out a phone.

She explained as she hit a button, “For your final task, admit on video that my husband is a better politician than you will  _ ever  _ be.” She hit the play button and waited expectantly.

Alex paled, but he looked at the camera and repeated, “John Adams is a better politician than I will ever be.” His voice was bland and emotionless, and Burr felt almost certain that Alex was going to throw up. Abigail Adams stopped the record and snapped her fingers. A slave walked into the room carrying the dress inside it’s package. As soon as Alex had it in his arms he passed it along to Burr. 

As Burr walked out of the door he heard Alex threaten, “If you  _ ever _ become President, I’ll make sure you only have one term.” Alex must have been in an awful mood, because as he walked down the stairs he  _ didn’t trip _ . 

They were a block away from Hamilton’s house when they heard very loud arguing in the street. Alex followed the sound of a man shouting and he reached a house that he seemed to recognize. The man was hovering over a woman, and he had his hand raised like he was preparing to hit her. Alex called, “Hey James. What’s going on?” The man, James, paused and looked over at Alex. He didn’t reply, only turned and walked back inside the house.

Alex opened the fence and went inside the yard, stopping at the woman to offer his hand. After a brief hesitation she took it and was hoisted up easily. Both men were thrown off by how beautiful this woman looked. Her long dark hair was parted so that most of it was on one side of her head. Her lips looked full and very kissable. Her eyes were dark and dowey. Alex found his voice faster and he asked, “Are you okay?” The woman nodded and curtseyed to him.

Her dark eyes flickered back and forth between him and Aaron, but settled on Alex, “Thank you.” Her voice was warm and rich, like dark chocolate. Burr heard Alex inhale sharply, “I should go and make sure my husband is alright too.”

Hamilton watched her turn and walk back into the house. He called after her, “If you ever need anything, you can come to me.” She glanced over her shoulder and bit her full lip before shutting the door.

The two men stood there almost awkwardly until Burr asked, “Who  _ was  _ that?” He was referring to the woman, but Alex answered for the husband instead.

“His name is James Reynolds.... I really hate him.” Alex turned and walked the rest of the way to his own house. He seemed to be lost in a world of his own thoughts, because he didn’t say anything for the rest of the time. 

Thankfully no one was awake when they got home. Alex took the dress and hung it up in the closet, “You can sleep here for the night if you want. There’s plenty of room…” 

Burr shook his head and smiled, “It’s alright, my wife is waiting for me. I’ll see you at your wedding tomorrow.” As he turned his back he heard Alex mutter, “Yeah, see you tomorrow.” Burr almost turned around and walked back into the house, climbed into that oversized bed, and took his place where he knew he belonged and would be wanted, but he stopped himself. He had to get back to his wife.

So he pushed all thoughts of Alexander out of his mind and walked back to his own house. As he passed by the Reynolds’ place he thought that he noticed a shadow of a woman, but the shadow disappeared. He passed it off as it just being his imagination from lack of sleep, pulled his coat tighter around himself, and hurried along back to his home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys see that little cameo? Who could that have been~


	36. The One with the Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliza and Alex's wedding, where it's actually happy unlike in the musical and in history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going be uploaded yesterday but I felt it would be better as a stand alone chapter.

Angelica clicked her pen several times as she watched the men and women set up her baby sister's wedding. She wrote down how much she wanted to pay them for all of their help, but Martha insisted that they didn't, and since the people were her "property" Angelica had to abide by her rules. 

Still, that didn't mean that she would have to enjoy it. So instead of writing down how much she had to pay these people, she just shot a text to Lafayette. They were more than willing to help out, and after the wedding the two of them would work together to compensate these people for all of their help in making this wedding the best wedding that this new country had ever seen. After all, Eliza deserves only the best.

She watched as one of the stronger slaves started struggling with the piano and she quickly went over to try and help. She might not be physically strong, but she's resourceful. Together, the two of them put the piano in the spot where the rest of the band is going to be. The rest of the band being the violinist and the cellist. Her sister had a very old fashioned dream of her wedding, but Angelica believed that it suits her. 

After the piano was put where it needs to go Angelica placed her clipboard on one of the tables and grabbed some of the decorations. She knelt down and handed some streamers to a couple of the children of the slaves and asked, "Do you mind decorating the back of the piano? I think it looks boring." The children gave her wide smiles and went towards making the piano stand out with the color theme of the wedding.

All of this took roughly five hours, but now that it's done Angelica could admit that she felt satisfied with how everything turned out. The chairs were all placed where they needed to be, the tables were all put together with vases of flowers on each one, the band was comfortably set up, the caterers knew what they were preparing, the arch had all of the flowers that the two people she loved most had requested -an exquisite arrangement of sunflower, orchids, lilacs, and roses-, so they could both have the wedding of their dreams. The weather is nice and warm, not a cloud in the sky. She knew that it would stay that way. All that was left is for people to start arriving. 

Thankfully the first person to arrive was none other than the groom himself. Well the best man showed up too, but he didn't matter to Angelica at this moment. What did matter to Angelica was the fact that the groom was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and he was carrying his computer, probably working. Angelica counted to ten to calm herself down before walking over to him. Laurens was the first person to see her and he elbowed Alex in the ribs, causing the other man to look up. He had the  _ audacity  _ to smile at her.

As she reached him she glowered and snapped, "Where's your suit." Alex chuckled and didn't look at all worried.

"It's in the car, I didn't want to get it all wrinkly and stuff." Alright, she could handle that excuse.

She continued with the second problem that she saw, "And  _ why _ do you have your work computer?" 

Alex turned the screen to face her, showing her exactly what it was that he was doing. As she scanned its contents Alex reassured, "I'm just double checking all of the reservations and stuff for the wedding. It's alright Angie." Angelica allowed herself to feel comforted, at least he was doing what he needed to be doing. Maybe this wasn't going to be a complete disaster after all. 

She took the computer from him and placed it on a nearby table. Afterwards she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face in the crook of his neck. As Alex reciprocated the hug Angelica murmured, "I missed you. Are you ready for the best day of your life?" Alex hummed in confirmation and Angelica continued, "Go put on your suit. I don't want to see you again without it on. You too, John." Both of her boys scampered off to do as she demanded, but not before Alex grabbed his computer. Angelica shook her head but let that slide.

The next people to arrive were a few of her father's friends, and the band began to quietly play a piece that Angelica didn't recognize. It was a slower song, but still beautiful. Angelica informed them that her father would arrive shortly. As more and more people begin to show up, Angelica grew more and more aggravated. She had been thrilled that Alex was here and ready to do this, but he and Laurens were the only other two in the wedding party besides her to be here, that's not including the President, who lives here so of course he was already here. Not even Eliza was here yet, and this is her magical day. Her father showed up with a gift, not the first one, and Angelica took it and placed it in the spot that the other gifts were. 

A pretty woman came forward and introduced herself as Sarah, and Angelica vaguely recalled Eliza mentioning this woman as being an old girlfriend. Speaking of old girlfriends...

Hamilton was hiding in the house because his ex had apparently shown up. What was it Laurens had called her? Kitty? Angelica went to discover who this mystery girl was and was shocked to see that it was a family friend. She went to talk to the girl, to maybe explain the situation and ask that she just buy a recording instead of be here (she honestly didn't see the girl's name on the guest list) when someone else had caught her eye. 

She allowed herself to smile in relief and briskly walked to greet Lafayette and Hercules. The two had also brought Frances, "Sorry we're late." Lafayette apologized, "But Hercules wanted to hand-make the bear costume." Angelica waved away the excuse and gave them both a hug. She told them where Hamilton was and instructed them to go get dressed. 

"Why is Alexander hiding?" A familiar voice caught her attention and she turned around and smiled in delight when she saw the Madison's and Burr's had arrived, and already in their suits no less. Angelica was impressed. After Angelica explained Aaron rolled his eyes, said, "I'll go talk to her." And disappeared amongst the crowd. Angelica shook her head, once again asking herself why Eliza had wanted a large wedding. The others made their way into the house to get into their respective clothing. 

As she saw them off, she felt a soft hand touch her elbow. Turning around she noticed with relief that the final two people had arrived. Eliza was doing her best not to be spotted by the throng of people, and Peggy was carrying her dress, a makeup bag, hair appliances, and a starbucks cup. 

Angelica grabbed Eliza by the hand and led her inside. She guided them to George's office and once inside she closed the door, "Alright, work your magic." She commanded the most stylish Schuyler sister, "I'll go tell Alex that his bride has finally arrived, you just get all dolled up."

"Yes ma'am." Her two sister's chorused. Peggy sat Eliza down on the comfy chair that Angelica had moved away from the desk, plugged in her hair straightener, and set to work. Angelica was confident that Peggy would be done within ten minutes, the girl could work miracles. 

Angelica turned and left the room, jumping only a little to see Theodosia Burr standing behind her. She hadn't heard her walk up. She opened the door again so the other woman could walk in and maybe help out. Before she closed it a voice called, "Angelica." And she watched Martha walk calmly and elegantly towards her. The woman, like always, screamed confidence, "Has our beautiful bride arrived yet?"

"She's in the room getting ready." Angelica reported. 

Martha nodded and peeked inside before informing, "Mulligan has the dresses for the rest of the ladies to change into. They set up camp in my tea parlor." Angelica gave a short nod of understanding and the First Lady slipped inside the room to see what she could do to help. 

Upon entering the tea parlor the first thing that Angelica noticed was that Lafayette was staring at the suit in his hands with a frown, "Girl day?" She checked.

"Today is a neutral day for me." Lafayette told her slowly, "But the dresses are so... pretty..." Angelica couldn't help but agree. Mulligan had proven himself to be a master at the art of sewing. They were exactly as Eliza had pictured them to be in her head. They were black and slim, but the the lower they went the more they fanned out. They also had  a faint red rim with a red ribbon around the waist. The dresses stopped at about mid-calf. 

Angelica assured, "I'm certain you'll pull the dress off flawlessly." Lafayette looked alarmed, "That's what you want, right? Well you can be a bridesmaid if you want to be a bridesmaid."

"That makes the wedding party uneven." Alex commented, "Eliza would need to lose a bridesmaid to make this work." Angelica turned to face him and he looked thoughtful, "Is she here yet?"

"Worried that she stood you up?" Angelica teased, her mind racing on what to do about the uneven wedding party.

Alex lowered his gaze and muttered, "Yes." Angelica couldn't keep the shock from her face and Alex defended, "Well, she's way out of my league and she could obviously do way better... so maybe she realized that and just decided not to show up..."

Angelica sighed and informed, "She's already here. You're right, she is way out of your league, but for some reason you're the one she chose." She grabbed the dresses that were bent over the couch. As she left to take Lafayette to the other women she called gently, "Eliza loves you, don't forget it." Alex gave her a small smile and Angelica continued, "And we love you too." She couldn't help but tease, "You will be marrying _someone_ today." Alex rolled his eyes and waved her off. As she was out of the room she realized what seemed off and shouted, "And put on your suit!"  As Angelica entered the office that they ladies had entered she announced, "The march begins in six minutes! Please put on your dresses-" She stopped speaking as she looked up. In fact, she stopped breathing altogether. Standing in front of her was a woman that Angelica didn't even recognize. 

It could be Aphrodite, Persephone, Hera, Psyche, Daphne, Cerridwen, Freya, Diana, or Demeter. Her baby sister was not the one that she'd expect... of course those goddesses aren't here, and the tears that were in Angelica's eyes were there because her Eliza. Eliza stood and was facing the door, watching Angelica was a nervous look on her face. 

Peggy curled Eliza's hair, braided the sides, and put the rest of it in an updo ponytail. While she did that Martha had put on a very light coat of makeup that somehow made Eliza's eyes stand out even more than normal, while Theo put on the dress. And the dress... it looked so similar to the one that their mother used, while being completely original in it's own way. It was floor length and slimming, while giving her sister an almost hourglass figure. Her shoulders were bare but there were lace sleeves on her upper arms. The dress cut a path along the curve of her breasts and stopped above her bellybutton. The entire torso of the dress was a lace of different patterns, while the bottom part of the dress from a distance appeared a solid white, but up close it was easy to see the enchanting design woven within the fabric. It looked like a dress worn by royalty. 

Angelica dropped the dresses on the floor and moved forward to get a closer looked. From behind her she heard Lafayette murmur something about not being the prettiest anymore and Eliza giggled, her nervousness not leaving her face. Angelica watched the other ladies out of the corner of her eye move to grab their respective dress, and was slightly thankful that they had been in their respective packages when she dropped them.

She softly clutched her sister but lower arms and looked into her eyes, "You're absolutely stunning." She told her earnestly.

Eliza smiled and reached up to wipe a tear, "You're crying." She informed her older sister with a small laugh. 

Angelica shook her head, "I'm just in awe of how I’m blessed with such a beautiful baby sister." She noticed Lafayette walk over and grab Peggy's starbucks cup... speaking of sisters. Angelica inwardly reminded herself to find out if that is the reason for their lateness.

Eliza looked unsure, "Yeah... but..."

That brought Angelica's attention back to the bride, "But what? Eliza you're obviously extremely gorgeous, what could you possibly be hesitant about?"

"...Do you think this'll get me laid tonight?" Lafayette choked and starbuck came out of their nose. If Angelica had been the one taking a drink she was certain that she would have had the same reaction.

It was Martha who recovered the fastest, "Darling, if Alex is too blind to take what he has, then I will." Eliza laughed freely and rolled her eyes. Angelica turned around to mouth the words 'thank you' but was stopped when she noticed that her father was in the doorway. He stared at Eliza and seemed to have a loss for words. He didn't seem to have caught that last bit he was too... caught off guard.

Angelica looked at the clock and noticed that it was time to do this, "Alright, Here's what's going to happen. Laurens and I will walk out together first. Count to ten, then Theo and Aaron will walk out. Count to ten, then Martha and George will walk out. Count to ten and Lafayette and Madison will walk out. Count to ten and finally Eliza and Father will walk the aisle." Angelica stopped herself realizing that she had... forgotten Peggy. 

Peggy assured, "It's.. okay. I don't need to be a bridesmaid." Angelica could see in her sister's eyes that it in fact was not okay. Eliza looked helpless and he realized in her hurry to make everyone feel included she had not counted on her party being too large.

A soft voice spoke up, "Okay here's the new plan." All attention turned to Theodosia. The woman looked confident, "I've been married twice now, this has happened once at my own wedding and once at a relatives. After Angelica and John leaves, when I go with my husband, we'll double up. I'll stand on his left and you'll stand on his right." Angelica grinned and snapped her fingers.

She looked at Eliza and the girl nodded her approval. Peggy squealed and rushed forward to hug Theo. Angelica announced, "Places! Someone text Alex and tell him that he better be on the other end of that aisle!" 

She rushed down and found the men waiting at the bottom of the steps, minus the groom. At her questioning look John said, "Where he needs to be." Angelica gave a thumbs up, signaled for the music to begin, took a deep breath, hooked her arm in with her boyfriend's and began the march. 

The song that her sister had chosen was Canon in D, performed in piano, violin, and cello. Angelica thought that that was a beautiful decision. As she walked along the aisle she allowed her eyes to wander. The wedding which had originally been pretty was now illuminated by the setting sun, casting an ethereal glow around the whole thing. 

Angelica winked at Alex and took her spot next to the place Eliza was going to be. Alexander looked exhausted but at the same time more alert and awake than she had ever seen him. To the side, out of the way, Angelica noticed the photographer where he was supposed to be, filming with one camera and taking pictures with another. 

The family all marched down at exactly the right spot, and the only thing that would make this more magical is when Eliza walks down that aisle and her father hands her to Alex. Speaking of which…

It was something that all girls secretly dreamed about. For their partner, male or female, the love of their life, to cry when they see them walk down the aisle. Angelica didn't see it happen often... but this time.

She was delighted to see Alex bite his top lip as his bottom jaw trembled. He fought to keep the tears out of his eyes so that he could watch her with clarity. Eventually he just decided to give up and stop fighting it. When Alex stopped fighting it, so too did Eliza, and Angelica thanked the heavens that she was wearing waterproof makeup. 

Philip Schuyler placed Eliza's hand in Alex's and stepped back to take his seat in the front row. The priest nodded and the crowd sat down, now came the fun part. 

Angelica smiled when she saw that Eliza and Alex's eyes were glued to each other, her sister's happiness turning into her own. She knew that the rest of the family felt the same. 

For the most part Angelica zoned out of the ceremony, the boring stuff that she had heard said a million different ways a million different times. Instead she took to having a staring contest with John. Both of their attention was broken by the priest announcing it time for the vows.

Alex spoke first, "Eliza, I vow to never keep any secrets from you. What I know so too will you. I vow to make make you feel like you always have a say in our decisions, you'll never feel helpless. I promise that if we're poor in every other aspect I will never be poor in my love for you. I promise to make you a vital part of my legacy, the story that they tell of me one day will have you as the main character, because before you my life was dark and meaningless. You're my equal and my partner." Angelica fought to keep a triumphant grin off her face. Women are not equal to men by any standard, and Alex didn't have to promise equality. She was not only thankful that the speech didn't take six hours, but also that she had chosen well for her little sister, that day all those months ago in that bar. 

Eliza took her turn next, "Alexander, I vow to love you with everything I have, no matter what mistakes you make or what promises you break. I'll be there to listen to anything and everything you have to say. And you have a lot to say." She paused while the room rumbled in laughter, all present knowing just how much Alex loved to talk, "I'll be there to comfort you in times of pain and sorrow, and I'll be there to laugh with you in times of happiness. I'll accept you no matter who you decide to be." When she was done Angelica zoned out again, except for that little part where she's pretty sure Alex married himself...

He said, "I thee... take me.. to be my lawfully wedded wife." Angelica figured he was distracted and nervous by how his eyes roamed Eliza, but really. When she said Alex was going to marry  _ someone _ she didn't mean himself. 

What followed next was the important part, the reason why they're all here, "You may now kiss the bride." Alex lifted her veil and brought her close. She whispered, "Are you ready?" In response Alex offered the same crooked smile that he did when they met, pulled her close, and kissed her for all of their friends and family to see. 

Cheers erupted and the crowd stood up. Angelica teared up a little but maybe that's just because she was feeling sentimental. When the two pulled apart neither seemed to be able to stop smiling. They were announced Alex and Eliza Hamilton, and they walked back down the aisle arm in arm. 

The last step was the wedding party. The orchestra was replaced by a band, because Alex wanted something less fancy this was the compromise, and the two danced the first dance of the night. 

Afterwards the two danced individually with the other members of their family, while the food began to get served to those who wanted to eat and not be sociable. Angelica got Eliza first. As the two sister's twirled to a slower song Angelica smiled, "How does it feel?" 

Eliza smiled and breathed, "Liberating. You were right sister, he's perfect." Angelica shrugged, used to being right. He may not be perfect, but he's better than most. Especially better than her last. 

Since Angelica got Eliza first she needed to wait her turn for Alex. While she waited she ate pasta with James Madison and Theodosia Burr, an odd pair but both were kind. Eliza joined them in eating and the photographer came over and snapped a picture. When Angelica finally got Alex... boy did she have some choice words for him, "You married yourself." She accused.

Alex winced, "Yeah.. I know." Angelica shook her head, but wasn't able to be disappointed in him for long when she heard Eliza's laugh above the rest. The two turned to see her dancing with Frances in the bear costume, "I have the best wife in the world." Alex sounded in awe. Angelica nodded and patted his shoulder.

"You did well." She affirmed, "I didn't see Hercules walk down the aisle, how was that?"

Alex chuckled, "Magnificent. Better than any other flower pal I would have wanted." Angelica smiled and allowed herself to be led through the dance. 

When the dance ended Angelica gave a smile, a curtsey, and whirled away to go find John. It's time to cut the cake and for her to give the toast. They decided that she would be the sole toast giver but they wrote the speech together. 

She found him dancing with Lafayette near the cake and she had to admit that the flamboyant Frenchman did look flawless in a dress. Eliza is the prettiest person here, but Lafayette is the second prettiest. They both looked up when she appeared and John got the hint, standing on a chair and shouting to get everyone's attention. The band cut off and all eyes turned to Angelica.

She called, "Eliza and Alex, you're needed at the cake." and waited a moment for the two to appear. Before they could begin to cut it Angelica raised her glass of champagne, the crowd all followed her lead. Eliza smiled and Alex looked suspicious. Angelica began, "Alexander and Elizabeth, the two people whom I care about more than anything else are perfect for each other. Who else but Eliza could handle Alex's... personality." The crowd rumbled with laughter and Alex mumbled something about having an awesome personality, "Who else but Alex could match Eliza's kindness and patience? When I met Alex in England last year I was tempted to make him my own, but now I'm so thankful that I didn't. He belongs to Eliza, and she to him. The two are the perfect blend of the perfect couple, and while I know Alex claimed that they were equals we all know the truth. Eliza's in charge." A chorus of agreement and Alex's suspicious look melted into one of acceptance, "I'm sure I could talk for hours about the two of them, but instead let's just enjoy the cake." Angelica noticed Eliza trying to be sneaker about grabbing a handful of cake with her hand so she went off script to stall for time. When Alex turned to look at his bride Angelica said, "Alex, Eliza." He returned his attention to Eliza, "You two will never have to go through your story alone, I'll always be in your corner. Now, turn to face your wife."

Alex looked at her in confusion, turned to look at Eliza, and got a face full of cake. The crowd cheered and Angelica stepped down. Alex narrowed his eyes, but instead of getting revenge the old fashioned way, he simply wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a big kiss, despite her protests. 

Afterwards the cake was cut and everyone got a slice. Eliza and Alex disappeared to wash their faces, and when they returned Angelica reminded, “What time do you need to be on the plane for the honeymoon?” 

Alex checked his watch, “About ten minutes.” The airport was fifteen minutes away. 

Angelica sighed, “Alright, go now. Have Lafayette drive you. The photographer already took all the group pictures while you two were dancing with everyone.”

“Did he get one with me and Alex under the arch?” Eliza checked for the only photo that she cared about. Angelica nodded and tried to shoo them towards the car.

She waved Lafayette over and told him the plan before turning back to Eliza, “Go, and have fun. Also Alex.” Angelica called out for him and he turned before getting into the backseat of the car, “Martha said that if you don’t have sex with Eliza tonight she will, so just… have fun.” Alex grinned and gave her a thumbs up before Lafayette honked for him to get in. 

Angelica watched them speed off before turning around so she could get started on wrapping everything up, silently wishing them a happy honeymoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song Canon in D is actually super beautiful, if you haven't heard it I highly suggest giving it a little listen.


	37. The One with the Wedding Night

Their flight felt like it was taking forever so Eliza decided to sleep for most of the way. She tried asking Alex where they were going but he winked at her instead of responding. She woke up when he unsuccessfully tried to lightly place her in bed

She opened her eyes and tried to figure out where they are, or more specifically where Alex is because it was dark and she could no longer see him, but ending up clueless, “Alex?” 

She received a slight, “Hrm?” from her right and she turned to see Alex had begun to take off his suit. She slowly looked down at her wedding dress and wondered if she should take it off but a soft finger grazing her cheek stopped her. She looked once more to her husband, who had one hand untying his tie and one knee on the bed, “My love, you can go back to sleep if you want. You must be tired.” 

She sat up and played with her hands in her lap, “I slept on the way here.” Eliza informed, now fully awake, “Unless… you want to wait until another time…” Alex scoffed and his finger moved from where it was lovingly grazing her cheek to cup her chin and hold her steady as he kissed her lightly. She thought he would pull away but he took to nibbling on her bottom lip as he threw off the last of the clothing covering his upper body. 

He gently laid her on her back on the the bed with him hovering just over her. Eliza undid the bun in his hair and entangled her fingers through the loose waves. One of his nibbles turned into a bite and Eliza let out a gasp of shock, allowing Alex to deepen the kiss. He broke away to mutter, “You sure?” Eliza frowned at him, her eyebrows scrunched up before she got an idea and smirked. 

Summoning every ounce of strength she had, which was more than one might think, she took advantage of the element of surprise and flipped them over -she’s lucky Alex is so light, has he been skipping meals again?-, so now she was straddling him. Alex’s eyes widened and he let out a small laugh before settling back and watching her, a small smirk playing on his lips. While maintaining eye contact she reached behind her and unzipped the back of her dress with one hand, and with the other she untied the strings. She was thankful that she had practiced doing that the night before otherwise it would not have gone as smoothly as it did. 

After doing that it was only a matter of sliding the fabric off her shoulders… only... she paused and looked at him, biting her lip in thought. She forgot that she wasn’t wearing a bra with this dress, as it came with a built in one. Of course, this was her  _ husband _ so she should be able to do this with confidence. Alex watched her sort this out in her mind in silence, not wanting to pressure her to do anything that she wasn't one hundred percent certain about. It was for this reason and many more that Eliza knew she could trust him completely, so with a small intake of breath she dropped the fabric, exposing herself completely. Alex’s eyes were no longer on her face. He still didn’t raise his arms to touch, letting her have complete control over the situation. 

Eliza watched him nervously, “Is this okay?” Alex’s eyes flickered to her face in confusion and she elaborated, “Am I okay?” She understood that her breasts aren’t exactly the  _ biggest _ .

Alex breathed, “Perfect.” 

She smiled softly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks and commanded, “Give me your hand.” He complied and she placed it on her breast, in the silent demand for him to touch. He gave a very gentle squeeze before he took to rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Eliza gasped and subconsciously rolled her hips against his. Alex paused in what he was doing and sat up, catching her off-guard. He placed one hand on the small of her back and the other hand massaged her breast, leaning her back so he could suck on her neck before trailing kisses down her chest. As he did this, Eliza leaned all the way back so she was on her back and he was perched above her in between her legs. He latched onto her other breast with his mouth and rolled the nipple between his teeth and tongue. 

As he was doing this Eliza happened to glance up at the ceiling, and she noticed that it was one of those glass ceilings that allowed one to see the stars at night. She idly wondered if aliens or something are up there and are watching them, maybe getting off too. Unless aliens don’t find humans attractive because they’re a different species. That would ruin quite a bit of teenage boys fantasies... she decided that this train of thought is much too weird for what she’s doing and also maybe she should spend less time with John Laurens. 

She was brought back to reality by the lack of stimulation and looked down to see Alex with his fingers hooked on the rim of her dress ready to pull it all the way off. His eyes were locked on hers and he said, “You left me. Penny for your thoughts?” 

Eliza had no idea how to explain what she was thinking of so she just ended up saying, “Alien sex and I should spend less time with Laurens.”

Alex snorted, “Got it.” He got serious again and asked, “What are we doing?” 

Eliza looked at him like he was weird, “What do you mean what are we doing? We’re clearly playing bingo, not getting ready to have sex.” 

He laughed and clarified, “Normal sex or fun, kinky, sex?” 

She was so tempted to go with the latter, but decided that maybe she should save that for a later date. She didn’t think she would be comfortable diving all the way in right away, she wasn’t her sister, “Normal. Just.. uhm.. Stick it in?” 

“Basically.” Alex muttered before pulled her dress all the way down, and placing it gently on the floor next to the bed. Afterwards he gave her a pointed look, “Did you just end up wearing no underwear?”

She found that question obvious and decided it must be a rhetorical question that she was going to answer anyway, “No I’m wearing invisible underwear.” She had no idea where her sarcasm was coming from, and decided that she definitely spends too much time with John Laurens. Alex smacked her lightly on her thigh and her eyes widened. She did not expect to like that as much as she did.

He rubbed where he had smacked her and the playful anger at her attitude left his features. He eyed her carefully and seemed to get an idea, “Would you like me to explain what I’m going to do or just do it?” He checked.

“Let it be a surprise.” Eliza decided, and gasped slightly as he trailed his finger along her inner thigh softly. He watched her face for any sort of reaction and must have only found consent because he he lowered his face and gave her clit an experimental lick. Eliza gave up on trying to watch him as the new sensations coursed through her, and she leaned her head back. Alex disappeared for a second and when he returned he was holding out a pillow, “It’ll probably be a little more comfortable with this.” He explained, and for the first time Eliza noticed that somewhere in there she had moved to the other end of the bed… maybe that was when she had straddled him and then was pushed back… 

She took the soft pillow and put it under her head, pleased to find that it was one of those memory foam pillows that she loved so much. When she was comfortable she looked back at her husband only to find that as she was doing that he had removed his pants and whatever underwear he had on. He had taken to just rubbing her clit with his thumb and stroking his cock, making absolutely sure that she was as comfortable as can be, which she found endearing, but now as she watched him she just wanted it to be inside of her, a desire she never imagined that she would have. She did have one concern, “Will it hurt?” 

“It shouldn’t,” He licked his lips and continued, “If anything it’ll only sting for like half a second and you’ll be fine.”

“Okay because I read something online and it said that-”

Alex cut her off, “Was it fanfiction?” At her nod he pursed his lips, “Yeah no. It won’t hurt, you’re not going to stain the sheets red with an endless fountain of blood, and penetration alone isn’t going to get you to climax.”

Eliza wasn’t expecting that last part, of course she was also barely listening to the rest of it because of what his thumb was doing, “It won’t?” 

To answer her question Alex decided to just show her instead of tell her, and he moved his hand that wasn’t touching himself to rest beside her head. He lined himself up with her and looked into her eyes, “Just tell me no and I’ll stop, okay?” She nodded and he slowly pushed himself in. 

She found that he was right, it did not feel like she was being split in half. It stung but only for a couple of seconds before she grew almost accustomed to the feeling. She heard him let out a small groan as he seated himself completely inside of her. With the hand that had been holding himself he reached up and intertwined his fingers through hers, and he placed the other hand on her hips. 

He looked into her eyes for a second and mumbled, “See?” Before he began to slowly rock in and out, falling into a relaxed rhythm. He moved his hand from her hip to continue playing with her clit. As he did this he took to sucking on her neck, trying to place as many marks as possible. Eliza closed her eyes as she felt the triple stimulation and ended up rocking her hips to meet his, “Fa-faster.” She commanded. He immediately complied and sped up. The hand that was not holding his went up to clutch his back. 

She lost track of the minutes that passed as he went from sucking and biting her neck to sucking her breast, and she arched her back to give him better access. However long passed until she felt a heat begin to bubble in the pit of her stomach at the same time that Alex’s cock began to swell. She wondered briefly which of them would finish first, and she guessed it would be him, at least from the stories she’d heard from her friends in their unhappy marriages. She was never more happy to be proven wrong. 

The feeling was unlike anything else and she was too busy trying to savor it to listen to the cry that came out of her mouth. Alex came not long after and rolled off of her, the entire time their fingers remained interlocked. She shifted so he could rest his head on the pillow and she could use him as her own. Eliza mumbled, “I read somewhere that a sneeze gives you as much pleasure as an orgasm.” She felt exhaustion begin to creep in now that her big day was officially done.

Alex chuckled and kissed the top of her head, “Now that you’ve done both which do you like more.” 

“A sneeze is great and all and I would definitely recommend, but it doesn’t last long enough.” She answered his question drowsily, before drifting off to a light sleep. Alex stared at her for a moment, still not able to comprehend how he managed to get the best woman in the world to be his wife. He had worried, at first, that when they married he would want to change his mind and marry one of the others that he loved deeply, but now he was absolutely certain that he married the right person. He just hoped that she felt the same, because he didn’t feel that he could ever bring himself to lose her. He loves her so much it hurts.

As he closed his eyes, just before he joined her in her sleep, only one thought crossed his mind. He never put on a condom and he finished inside of her. 


	38. The One with the Hospital

As soon as the newly married couple walked through the door, they were bombarded with questions, all of which Alex answered while Eliza took their bags into the room to unpack, shooting Angelica a text as she arrived in the safety of the bedroom. She didn’t hear what was being said but that wasn’t really what was on her mind. She just finished unpacking her stuff and had started on her husband’s when a hand tapped her shoulder. She whirled around in surprise and exhaled when she saw who was standing there, “John, you startled me.” 

“Sorry.” He didn’t look sorry, “Do you need some help?” Eliza sat down on the bed and nodded, watching him wearily as he unpacked all of Alex’s stuff, and put what needs to go into the bathroom away. He returned and sat next to her on the chair next to the bed, “You don’t look to happy. Did you have fun?” 

Eliza sighed, “Oh yes, it was a blast.” Laurens looked skeptical so Eliza continued, “That’s not the problem.” 

“There’s a problem? What’s wrong” He looked alarmed, his voice raising slightly.

Eliza was quick to shush him so he didn’t alert Alex, “It’s a problem that isn’t a problem, I just don’t want the answer to be yes or no.” John looked significantly less alarmed, but still concerned. Eliza looked down on the bed, “I’m not even sure if my suspicions are correct, but I don’t want to tell anyone yet and get their hopes up.” 

John took one of her hands and held it gently, kissing her knuckles, “If something was wrong you’d tell me, right?” 

She gave him a soft smile, “Of course.” Then she took her hand out of his and patted her lap once. She decided a change of subject was in order, “Now, do you have any questions not related to the problem?”

John laughed, not at all oblivious to her attempts to distract him. He’d play along anyway, “Plenty. Where’d Alex take you? Every time I asked he just…”

“Winked at you?” He nodded and she giggled, “He did that to me as well. He took me to the Maldives, it was absolutely beautiful.”

“What sort of things did you do?” 

Eliza hummed and recalled the pleasant memories, “We went night fishing, snorkelling, and we went on a cruise, and we had a picnic on a sandbank. Of course we also went swimming and the resort we were staying at had this magnificent spa.” John smiled at her as she attempted to explain, her voice filled with wonder, “Oh, it was so beautiful. Of course, the best part was having Alex’s attention all to myself.”

Laurens laughed, understanding very well how precious his attention is nowadays. He asked a follow up question that had Eliza laughing, “How often did he work?” 

“Seven hours every day. I explored while he was hunched over his computer. It was so nice to just walk around with no shoes on and get lost in my thoughts.” John was surprised, Alex seemed to be slacking off. 

Still, her attention seemed to be waning so he was quick to ask, “Any interesting thoughts?” 

Eliza blushed and wondered if she should tell him, “Well, none that you would be interested in while I was exploring. There was this brief moment where I was wondering whether or not aliens would be attracted to humans.” 

John nodded, taking her thought seriously and offered, “Well, I think it would depend on the sexuality of the alien. They would have to be… what would it be called? Homosapien-sexual?” 

Eliza was about to answer when another voice joined the conversation, “Of course you would be discussing this.” Eliza and Laurens both turned to see Alex standing in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest. A small smirk played on his lips, “Did you tell him what you were doing when you had this thought?”

“I was not planning on him ever finding out.” She informed her husband.

Laurens was intrigued, “What was she doing?” 

“Alex, no. Don’t-” Eliza tried, standing up and starting to walk towards him. 

“Me.” He answered, “She was doing me, and somewhere in there she allowed her mind to wander and when she came back the only explanation she offered was that she had to spend less time with you.” 

“See, this just means that she should have married me.” John decided, “I would have stopped and we would have had a philosophical discussion about the extra-terrestrial.” 

“No that is exactly why Alex needed to be the one who married Eliza.” Alex was shoved out of the doorway and into the room as Angelica appeared. She looked at her sister, “I got your text, you ready to go?” 

“Where’re you going?” Alex asked, walking over to sit on John’s lap, the latter wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. He grabbed his computer and did not appear interested in the answer in the least, so Angelica merely raised an eyebrow, grabbed her sister by the arm, and left. If he didn’t care she wouldn’t tell.

As the two entered the garage Angelica asked, “Motorcycle or car?” Eliza shrugged, looking quite down. Angelica chose to go with motorcycle, if she needed to go where they were heading, they’d want to get there fast. Angelica was better at the bike than any other vehicle. She handed her sister the helmet and together they sped away.

Angelica knew the way there by heart, this not being the first time she’d needed to drive one of her sisters. She suspected that the reason they’re going is the same. She didn’t attempt to talk on the ride there. When they arrived she grabbed her sister by the arm and walked in. The two were well known around these parts, so the wait for the doctor was shorter than normal. 

Eliza elected not to fill out the form, not needing to because there was no man here to answer the questions about her that she, a woman, could not answer for herself. That irked Angelica, but she wasn’t going to argue it today. Today was about Eliza. 

The nurse seated them, said, “The doctor will be in shortly.” And left. Angelica stood by the bed and watched Eliza, who remained unwilling to explain why they needed to be at the hospital. 

She was surprised to see that the doctor was not only not their usual doctor, but also that she was a woman. Female doctors are very rare. The woman introduced, “I’m Doctor Rosemary, what seems to be the problem?” She addressed Angelica, who has always been the center of attention in a room. The elder sister looked to Eliza, who hunched up.

She whispered, “I think… I might be pregnant.” Angelica smiled to herself, she was right. The last time she was here, the circumstances were much more stressful. Peggy wasn’t married when she had pregnancy scare, but luckily the hospital confirmed that she was, in fact, not pregnant. 

The doctor stayed relaxed, “Alright. Well, there are a couple of different blood tests to find out for sure if you are, but they’ll only work if it’s been six to eight days after you ovulate.” 

Eliza nodded, “I should have started my period nine days ago.” She informed. 

Doctor Rosemary hummed, “Okay. We can do a qualitative blood test or a quantitative blood test. The-”

Angelica cut her off, “Do the one that’s more accurate. We want to know for sure.” 

The doctor didn’t look fazed by her demand, “That would be the Quantitative hCG Blood Test. If you’ll relax this won’t take long at all for us to complete.”

“How soon can we get the results?” 

“Immediately.” The medical advances of this time was matched only by the cruel treatment of anyone who is not an important man. 

Angelica gave her sister a look and at Eliza’s nod she said, “That’s the one.”

“What’s the catch?” To Eliza that sounded too good to be true. 

“Well, it’s pretty expensive.” The doctor admitted. Angelica waved off her concerns. If they’re right and Eliza is pregnant then Lafayette would be more than willing to pay for the hospital bills. 

The doctor had Eliza sign a warranty, just to prove that she knew what she was doing and she was allowed to make these decisions. It’s something that they make all women do without a man present so the hospital can show the man that the woman “belongs to” that she was well aware of what she was asking. Angelica doubted Alex would raise a fuss for them coming without him here. 

The doctor called in the nurse and they went through the normal steps of drawing blood. Eliza gripped Angelica’s hand while the needle was being entered but aside from that she was completely fine. Peggy had done the same thing. Angelica is the only Schuyler sister unafraid of needles. 

After roughly thirty minutes the doctor returned, “Well Miss Hamilton, your results are in. You might be glad to know that you are very healthy.” Doctor Rosemary paused, “Congratulations, you’re going to be a mother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But is anyone surprised?  
> Also, normally the results do not come instantly, but this is a different time and place. It's also not historical at all, nor is it canon. This is my story so I say that this is a perfect world where you leave the hospital knowing exactly what you wanted to know right away.


	39. The One with the Reveal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A small fluffy chapter

Angelica stood behind her sister as the two ladies waited for their family to all arrive. Everyone who didn’t live here had already shown up, it was Alexander, who was just in his office, who is always the last to arrive. He usually says just have Eliza make all of his decisions, but the girl had made it clear that he had to be present this time. 

It had been four days since the two sisters had come home from the hospital, but Eliza was waiting to tell everyone until Washington was available. She felt that it was only fair. Everyone took their usual positions: Peggy and John on the floor, Hercules on the sofa looking down at his phone, Lafayette sitting on George’s lap on the recliner- the Frenchman looking at his phone-, Martha and the Burrs on the loveseat, and Alex not here and running late as per usual. 

Five minutes of small talk later and he finally showed up, taking his spot on the sofa and staring at his wife expectantly, “Okay, but can we hurry up? I was drafting up this new bill that’s supposed to make it easier for women to get an education in public schools.” Angelica gave him a pointed look and was about to say a retort but she was stopped by Eliza’s hand on her arm. Instead the elder sister walked  over and sat on Mulligan’s lap, willing to let Eliza have the spotlight all to herself.

All eyes on her, except for those individuals on their phones, she took a breath and began, “I’m not really sure how to say this, so I’ll start by asking where Frances is.” 

Laurens answered her, not looking up from his phone, “She’s in her room probably on her computer, either playing video games or watching YouTube.” Eliza nodded, she would have requested to have the girl brought in, but it’s alright like this. 

With a pink hue coloring her cheeks Eliza continued, “I guess I’m just going to say it then. Angelica and I went to the hospital to confirm, I’m pregnant.”

Whatever phones were being looked at were suddenly on the floor, and Eliza suddenly had everyone’s undivided attention. That wasn’t what caused Eliza to begin laughing. Her husband seemed to stop working. He was just staring at her with big brown eyes, as though he were incapable of forming a complete thought.

Others, however, seemed to be thinking much faster than normal, “Who’s the father?” In an instant Peggy had moved from her position on the floor and was standing in front of Eliza. Her eyes twinkled with excited.

Eliza’s eyes remained on Alex as she answered, “All of you.” Her eyes roamed around the room and she smiled at all the people she loved. As her attention returned to her husband she amended, “But Alex is the biological father.” 

“I’m going to be a father.” John whispered, “I wonder what that’s like…” Any response was cut off by Alex slowly standing up.

“How long have you known?” He asked quietly. Eliza couldn’t tell if he was happy or disappointed. 

Eliza glanced at Angelica, “Technically only four days, but I suspected since the beginning of our honeymoon.” Alex nudged Peggy out of the way so he could stand in front of Eliza, placing is hands on each side of her hips. It was only now that he was this close that Eliza could see the joy in his eyes.

He murmured, “You’re carrying my child.” Before peppering kisses on her face. 

“Is it a boy or girl?” Martha asked, coming forward and taking one of Eliza’s hands while also shoving Alex back, “I was able to tell quickly with mine.”

“Yeah but don’t you have like nine children?” Laurens checked, the only person still on the floor. Martha shushed him and looked at Eliza expectantly.

The girl chewed her bottom lip, “I can’t tell.:

“Can we place bets?” Peggy offered, “Whoever guesses the sex of the kid wrong has to put back a certain amount of money towards college or something.” 

“How much money?” Lafayette asked, still on George’s lap. They both looked happy for Eliza, but not happy enough to move from their comfortable position. 

Alex protested, “You guys we can’t bet on-”

However he was cut off by Eliza playing along, “Four hundred dollars.” She declared, and followed with, “My bet goes on boy.” 

Angelica was next to say, “I think it’s going to be a girl.” Eliza rolled her eyes, she knew Angelica really thought that it was a boy, but she also knew that she would find any way to help Eliza take care of the kid financially. 

Alex protested once more, “You guys we should just be happy with whichever-” Yet his protests were once again drowned out by happy participants. Peggy disappeared to find some paper to write it down, scribbling furiously as everyone placed their bets. 

At the end the youngest Schuyler sister read off the results, “Alright, those that think it’s a girl are Angelica, Aaron, Lafayette, George, and Hercules. Those that think it’s a boy are Eliza, Martha, Theodosia, me, and Laurens… so it’s a tie.” She stopped and looked blankly at Alex, “You didn’t vote. What do you think.”

Alexander shook his head, “I’m not playing along. I don’t care what the child is, whoever they are, they’re going to be perfect. If they want to change their mind and be anything else they’ll still be perfect. And they’re going to be perfect because Betsey is the mother.” He used his old nickname for Eliza, “So it doesn’t matter what I think.” When finished he disappeared into the kitchen to find something to drink. However, before anyone could comment Alex popped his head back in to wink at Eliza and say, “But I can’t wait to meet my son.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That would be enough!~


	40. The One with the Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celebrating Eliza being pregnant!

It was all Peggy’s idea, truth be told. Eliza wasn’t exactly expecting anything as any sort of celebration, aside from the normal baby shower that was tradition. However with the looming threat of her husband’s debt plan due date, Eliza was content with just receiving his congratulations before he locked himself in his office. One could imagine her surprise when she was driven, by Peggy, to a fancy restaurant and was greeted by all ten members of her family, including her husband. 

When she sat down in the circle booth between her husband and Lafayette, the rest of the group filled in accordingly. Starting from the very edge, opposite of Eliza, the family sat in this order: Aaron, Theo, Martha, George, Frances, Hercules, Angelica, Peggy, John, Alex, Eliza, and on the other end Lafayette. Alex leaned in to whisper, “I have an important meeting tomorrow at the White House, so I’m going home with George tonight.” Before turning his attention to something Angelica was saying.

Eliza didn’t have any time to begin to pay attention to the details of the other’s conversation because Lafayette leaned in to tell her, “This is a celebration of you and your child, so feel free to order anything you’d like, oui?” One look at the menu showed Eliza just how expensive everything was and when she turned to look at Lafayette he beat her to it by continuing, “George and I are splitting the bill.” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and allowed her to let her attention wander. 

Frances was the next person to attempt conversation, this time from across the table. The young girl looked at her and asked, “So is the baby my sibling or my cousin?” 

Eliza and Laurens shared a glance before Eliza responded with, “The baby is whatever you want them to be, as long as you remember that you’re family.” 

Frances nodded decisively, “I can do that.” Her attention was stolen from Eliza whenever Mulligan began to tell a story about a customer that came in the day before. Eliza was torn between listening to his story and listening to whatever Angelica was saying, so in the end she wasn’t able to focus on either story. 

Eventually the waitress came over to take all of their drink orders. Alex was quick to ask, “Hey Laf, are you covering everyone or just Eliza?” 

“You don’t listen to me.” Lafayette sounded wounded, “I will pay, you order whatever you want. In return you can-” The rest of that sentence was covered up by Peggy loudly coughing.

When Lafayette was finished with whatever the suggestive sentence was Peggy scolded gently, “Gilbert, there is a child present.” 

Lafayette rolled his eyes, “Mulligan has heard me say worse.” Peggy did a perfect mirror of Angelica’s eyebrow raise and the Frenchman sighed, “Fine. I’ll be good.” 

As the waitress left with everyone’s orders Alex broke the silence that followed by saying, “No, but if you really mean that you can come to the White House with me and I’ll pay you back.” He glanced at Frances before adding loudly, “ **_Sexually_ ** .” He was punched roughly on each shoulder by Eliza and Laurens, respectively. He then pouted and rubbed his arms like a child.

Martha leaned across the table and locked eyes with Eliza, “So what are you going to name the child? And I don’t mean your husband.” Alex stuck his tongue out at the first First Lady. All eyes turned to Eliza, who turned to look at Alex, who just shrugged.

“Well,” Eliza began, before clearing her throat, “I haven’t actually thought about it.” 

“If we’re all the father than we should all have a say.” Hercules told her, and the others murmured in agreement. 

Eliza considered it and didn’t find a flaw with that idea so she nodded, “Alright, what do we all want the name to be if it’s a girl?” 

Several people spoke up at once so Angelica sighed and spoke over them, “ _ One at a time _ , we’ll start at Burr.” 

“I like the name Theodosia.” He offered.

His wife smiled politely and agreed, “I think that’s a beautiful name as well.” Alex muttered something under his breath about it being her name but he didn’t raise any objections. 

Martha Washington was next, “I think the name Elizabeth is beautiful.” She winked charmingly at Eliza, who winked back. George agreed with his wife.

Frances was skipped so Mulligan offered, “I like the name Sarah.” 

Eliza offhandedly commented, “I once dated a girl named Sarah.” She didn’t think that that’s a name she’ll be using. 

At Angelica’s turn she agreed with Martha, “If it’s a girl she should be named after the mother.” 

“I don’t know.” Laurens looked hesitant, “I like the name Angelica if it’s a girl. That name brings a sort of... strength.” 

Angelica argued, “That’s only because  _ I’m _ the one who has that name.” 

“I like the name Evangeline.” Alex cut in, everyone nodded their heads.

“That’s a beautif-” Eliza was cut off as Alex continued, “But we’re going to call her “Eve-liza” for short.” Laurens choked on his drink and stared at wide eyed at Alex.

“Well,  _ anything  _ is better than  _ Hammie _ .” Laf said casually as he took a sip of his wine. Before Alex could retaliate he was cut off by Hercules chortling and saying, “Actually I’m changing my vote. I think Hammie is a wonderful name for a baby girl.”

Eliza sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Boys I’m not naming my daughter Hammie Hamilton.” She continued before anyone could argue, “I sort of like the name Mavis.”

“Thats a good name.” Laf agreed. Alex seemed to be considering something as Laf continued, “I personally like the name Jordan.” Eliza smiled. Leave it to Lafayette to pick a neutral name.

“Eliza.” Everyone turned to look at Alex in confusion as he spoke. Eliza looked at him expectantly, assuming that he was addressing her. Alex licked his lips before he said, “I’m changing my vote on the name. If it’s a girl, I want to name her Eliza.” Eliza smile and she could feel tears prickling at her eyes. Gosh darn these pregnancy hormones. 

“I suppose that works.” Martha acknowledged begrudgingly, “It’s a shortened version of the name I chose.” The group paused the discussion for the waiter to return with rolls and to take their food orders. 

When the staff walked away Angelica took charge once again, “Alright, then we should should put it to a vote. All in favor of the name Eliza?” The vote passed unanimously. The oldest Schuyler sister continued, “What about a boy name?” 

Lafayette spoke first, “We should name him Alix, but with an ‘I’.

Alex looked up from his position of grabbed a roll from the furthest breadbasket, “Eye-lex?” He shrugged, “That’s weird but I guess it’s better than-” He stopped when Lafayette grabbed a roll and threw it at him, hitting him on his left shoulder. 

Eliza took the roll that hit her husband and took a bite, savoring the flavor of a roll baked in butter and honey, “This is amazing.” She groaned.

“Top ten things Eliza said on her wedding night.” Peggy called. Alex winked at her. 

“I just wish there was more of it.” Eliza continued, ignoring her sister.

Laurens laughed, “Top ten things Eliza said on her wedding night.” Lafayette and Hercules  joined in on the laughter. 

Angelica admonished, “Don’t laugh.” 

Lafayette joined in, “Top ten things Alex said on his wedding night.” 

Alex protested, “You have all slept with me.” 

“Alex! Frances is here!” Martha hissed.

Alex argued, “Frances knows how people get pregnant.” 

The child in question spoke up, her voice sounding small, “I like the name Philip as a boy name…” The adults paused in their bickering to consider it.

Eliza was the first to speak, “I mean… it  _ would _ be nice to name our son after my father.” Angelica and Peggy both nodded in silent agreement.

Alex continued, “And he  _ has _ done a lot for our family. I mean he’s the one who paid for our honeymoon.” 

“So… Eliza if it’s a girl and Philip if it’s a boy?” Peggy summarized. She was met with no objections. 

The conversation paused once more when the food arrived and those that were leading the main discussion had food in their mouths. Alex attempted to feed Eliza with his hands, and the woman laughed and did her best to let him, but he kept missing her face. It was probably on purpose because afterwards he licked the food off of her cheek. Frances made a face and turned away from them to try talking to the president. 

Washington was paying more attention to Lafayette, who must have been in a girl mood because he left lip gloss marks on his wine glass. George asked, “Are you coming home with me and Alex or are you going with Eliza?” 

Lafayette frowned in consideration, “I suppose I’ll go home with you.”

“Can I come?” Frances tried.

Laurens looked at his daughter, “Why do you want to go to the White House?” 

“Because it’s the White House.” The young girl looked at her father as though it were obvious. 

Lafayette sassed, “Yeah  _ Dad _ .”  Laurens rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, who jolted as though he’d been kicked. Laf looked across the table at Hercules and kicked back, continuing a game of footsie that no one knew they’d been playing. 

George was the one who answered the child, “You can come with if you’d like.” He looked around the table, “Does anyone else want to come?” 

Surprisingly enough it was Angelica who offered, “I wouldn’t mind going with. I want to see the cabinet meeting tomorrow.” 

Alex summarized, his eyes not leaving Eliza’s as he fed her strawberries, “So it’ll be me, Frances, Laf, Angie, and Washington?” He stopped what he was doing and turned his attention to the person on the other side of him, “John open your mouth, I want to feed you strawberries.” 

Eliza laughed and suggested, “Feed him with your mouth. Like a bird but all seductive.” 

Alex nodded, “Yes, when people describe me they like to say I’m like a seductive bird.” He replied sagely, putting a piece of fruit in between his lip. Laurens rolled his eyes and went with it, biting off half of the red fruit and ending it with a kiss. When they pulled apart Alex watched his boyfriend with half-lidded eyes and murmured, “Caw.” 

“Way to ruin the moment.” Laurens told him. Alex rolled his eyes and leaned forward, quickly capturing the other’s lips in something a little too indecent for Frances, who suddenly found her eyes being covered. 

Alex broke apart to whisper, “Come with.” John nodded and the two once again locked lips in a dance that they’re been doing for a decade. 

“Okay gross.” Frances complained, “If Dad’s going with then I’m staying home with Miss Eliza.” The two broke apart to continue eating, but there remained an air of tension around them that was certainly going to be resolved soon.

George sighed and recounted, “So it’ll be Angelica, Lafayette, Alex, Laurens, and myself. Is that correct?” No one else spoke up, so he took that as compliance. 

From that point scattered discussion ensued, making it difficult to pay attention to just one. The Burrs spoke with Martha about their own wedding. Angelica and Peggy talked with George and Hercules about future plans, Frances paying attention to them but not joining in. Laurens and Alex switched between talking to one another and kissing, their heads close together as though they were a young couple stuck in their honeymoon phase. Lafayette got up to go and pay for the bill, returning on the other side to sit beside Aaron and weigh in on their conversation.

Eliza smiled and gently rubbed her stomach as she watched the table. She couldn’t help but think about how fortunate she was to have all of these wonder people in her life. She never could begin to understand how she had gotten so lucky in life to end up in love with with all of these wonderful people, with a child that she considered her daughter and a kid on the way.

All in all, it was a better pregnancy celebration than what she could have hoped for. It didn’t matter to her that she wasn’t the center of attention, she had always hated being the one in the spotlight, Angelica was more suited for that role. Being here, with all of these incredible people whom she knew loved her just as much as she loved them, was more than enough celebration. 

Still… she wouldn’t say no to someone else joining in. Her gaze once more strayed to look at her husband, and she knew that even though he wouldn’t admit it he was becoming more and more interested in James Madison. She pulled out her phone to being texting Angelica. If she was going to be there then maybe she could set it up. 

Upon receiving the message her sister gave her a thumbs up. She reached over and detached Laurens from Hamilton, whispering something to the other. Eliza couldn’t make out what she was saying, but John seemed to agree and upon release he resumed what he was doing with Alex.

Angelica texted her, telling her that Alex wasn’t going to get laid tonight, and then returned to her conversation with the President. 

Eliza leaned back and admired her work, completely comfortable in the knowledge that  one more would soon be added to their family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was co-written by my very good friend and beta! We hope you enjoyed


	41. The One with the Rest of Frances's Backstory

Frances was laying on her stomach, drawing a picture of her favorite flower and humming along to the music playing from the computer in front of her. She didn’t finish her dinner last night, so the leftovers were on a plate on her bedside table.

Mister Hamilton once told her that she inherited her father’s artistic ability. Frances took that as a compliment, she’d seen her father draw turtles and such and she knew that even though he didn’t flaunt it he had real talent. 

Miss Peggy likes to be on the receiving end of the things that Frances draws, always saying that she’s going to be a real artist one day. France has to admit, that would be her dream job, but they don’t make a lot of money. When Frances expresses that doubt Miss Peggy always shows her one of her drawings and tells her that she see real talent here, and if no one else buys it then she would. Frances has decided that she likes Miss Peggy. 

A short knock on the door caused Frances to look up and pause her music. She called, “Come in!” It’s nice, the amount of privacy her family gives her. When she lived with her mother, she would be walked in on and often times forced to leave her door open. She would be walked in on in the shower too, and sometimes it wasn’t even her mother who did that, but her mother’s boyfriend. Of course, the only person Frances has ever spoken about this with has been Miss Peggy. 

It was such a culture shock when she came here. Mister Hamilton, who is _technically_   the boss of the house even though Miss Angelica is the real boss, never regulates what she does. She’s allowed to have say in what’s for supper or what she wants to do about schooling (she chose private school). If she needs something she knows Mister Hamilton would stop his work to help her before going right back to work. Unlike her mother or her mother’s boyfriend Mister Hamilton enforced the rule that she gets the ultimate privacy. So needless to say she liked her dad’s boyfriend way more than her mother’s. 

To the young girl’s surprise it was actually Lafayette who entered. She thought that they had gone to the White House with Mister Hamilton, “Are you busy?” They checked. 

The young girl looked down at her drawing and then back up at Lafayette, “Not really. I’m just doodling.” Lafayette took a few steps in and looked down at the picture.

He examined it with passive eyes before looking back up, “This is just a doodle?” Frances nodded in confirmation, “This is amazing!” He praised, kneeling down to get a better look while still respecting her bubble.

Frances shifted slightly so they could get a better look, “I’m still doing some basic shading. If you talk to Miss Peggy you can see some of my finer works.” Lafayette glanced up at the young girl’s face before looking back down at the paper. 

After moment of contemplating something Lafayette asked, “Could I make an art request?” That took Frances by surprise, but she wasn’t against it. After a short nod from the girl Lafayette continued, “I want a detailed picture of the sunrise over New York.”

“I can do that.” That shouldn’t be so hard.

However Lafayette continued, “I’ll be paying you of course, so I’m thinking… maybe two-sixty for it?” 

Frances was slightly taken aback, “I’ve never sold art before, but I guess two dollars and sixty cents is good.” 

Lafayette laughed and shook their head, “No, I meant two hundred and sixty dollars.” They regarded the young girl with a fond look, “You’re very talented, and I want the painting to be large. Of course, I’m factoring in my family discount.” They winked at her. 

Frances’s mind went blank. That was… more money than she’d ever been worth before. She always assumed when she sold something of hers that it wouldn’t have a lot of value and maybe she’d get five dollars for it. A slow grin stretched across the girl’s face and she abruptly sat up. She couldn’t keep herself from hugging Lafayette as she declared, “Then this is going to be the best painting I’ve ever done!” With her mind racing she quickly dashed out of the room, talking as she dashed about the large house. Lafayette kept up with her fairly easily, “I’m going to need a bucket, a large place on the floor, and a large canvas!” She stopped and turned around, “Do you know if Mister Hamilton would have any of those things in his office.”

Lafayette told her, “I’m certain he has at least one of those things.” Laughter flickered in his dark eyes. 

Frances paused what she was doing and looked back at them, “By the way, I thought you were with Mister Hamilton and Mister Washington.” 

Lafayette shrugged, “Eliza wanted me to come home instead of go out. Something about how she gets lonely at night.” Frances nodded and hummed, that makes sense. Laf continued, “I was actually coming to get all of the dirty dishes from your room.”

“I only have about eight cups.” After receiving a pointed look the girl added, “I’ll bring them to the kitchen when I get my art stuff.” She turned and walked to the office, and upon entering found a bucket and canvas, but no empty floor space. 

* * *

 

Angelica pulled out her phone so she could film it. Hamilton was agitated and frustrated, especially because when he tried to sleep with Laurens the other man pretended to be asleep. Later on, when Alex had left Laurens told Angelica that if anyone other than Eliza requested that he do that he would have said no. 

The President was sitting at the head of the table, and the stenographer had readied the steno-machine and was waiting patiently for them to being. This month’s issue was isolationism. 

Hamilton began, at the signal from the president, “Mister President, before we begin let me say this: as you’re well aware I am the one with the history in military, Madison is a politician who doesn’t understand how serious this situation can be.”

When Alex paused Madison spoke up, “My argument is the one that Jefferson, the current Secretary of State, calls his own. I may not have the military background but I have the higher say as this is no place for the person in charge of  _ money _ .”

Hamilton shot back, “Then Secretary Jefferson should be the one having this argument with me. Also, I might be in charge of handling money but with that we need to consider placing our finances on the international scale, the value of our currency won’t be taken seriously if it’s not aggressive and competitive and _ total _ isolationism won’t cut it.”

* * *

 

Frances had placed her paint supplies on the highest shelf in her closet, so Mister Hercules came in to get it down. Lafayette’s tall enough, but they were picking out a paint outfit for her to wear. They set up the canvas in the living room and Lafayette sat on the couch to keep her company. Mister Hercules said something about going back to bed and left.

Frances glanced at the clock above the television, and was surprised to see that it was already tomorrow. Sometimes she stayed up all night without noticing. She turned to Lafayette, “What time did you come into my room?” 

Lafayette glanced at the clock before answering, “It was about eight.” They answered. Frances was alarmed, normally she’d be hungry by now. Of course, she’d been snacking at regular intervals so… she shrugged it off. 

She grabbed her pallet and gazed at the empty canvas. She imagined what she wanted the picture to look like, and the story she wanted it to tell, in her mind’s eye. To her, New York represents hope, a chance for a new life where she’s completely accepted. As she drew that story she quietly talked to Lafayette about everything that came to mind. 

* * *

 

“If we don’t stay out of the affairs of other countries not only will we end up hated on the national scale,” Hamilton snorted, Madison doesn’t care about that, “but we’ll also end up under a massive amount of debt. You’re correct, I have no place in the military but I do know this, isolationism will save the lives of our soldiers by not sending them into wars that don’t need to be fought.” 

Hamilton was quick to counter, “Isolationism will also keep us from sending aid to our allies. It would mean taking diplomats and foreign ambassadors and bringing them home. It could put Secretary Jefferson, whom you speak for, out of a job, because why would we need a Secretary of State if we don’t have any dealings with other countries.”

Before Madison could offer another argument Alex continued, “So here is my compromise.” That took all present off-guard. Hamilton does not like to offer compromises, “I don’t want us to enter any wars that the European countries take part in, nor do I want to give aid to any revolutions.” Alex turned back to the President, “If we fight in every revolution where do we draw the line? The fighting will never cease. So we should cut off all ties with the French and other allies across the ocean.  _ However _ I believe we should trade goods and services, as well as allow immigration. I’m proposing a type of non-interventionism.”

There was a pause then, “I don’t think we should cut off  _ all _ ties with France.” That was the only issue Madison could offer.

“France is a mess right now!” Alex exclaimed, and then began to pace, “If you want to talk about saving lives we can start by not leading them into a massacre.” 

Madison stopped to cough into a handkerchief before, “Fine. You’re right. I’ll accept that compromise.” Alex stopped his pacing, staring at the senator in shock, “What?” The man frowned at the immigrant when he didn’t say anything for a long period of time.

“Oh god you’re not stupid.” Alex breathed and Madison scowled. 

* * *

 

Frances hadn’t realized that she’d been crying until Lafayette came forward and wiped away a tear. The Frenchman gripped the younger girl’s shoulders and gazed intently into her eyes, “Frances.” They began slowly, “Does your father know?” Frances shook her head as a new batch of tears flowed down her cheeks. She was pulled in for a hug and the two sat in the middle of the floor until Peggy found them. 

She took one look at them and turned to leave but was stopped when Lafayette called, “Did you know?” 

The older girl nodded, “Frances told me because I was the only other one who’d had that happen to them, just on a smaller scale.”

“We need to tell Laurens.” Frances began to protest but Lafayette continued, “We don’t need to tell anyone else if you’re not comfortable with that, but we need to talk to your father.” Lafayette shook his head, “Sacre bleu you are only twelve years old.”

“...You won’t let dad punish me, right?” Came Frances’s meek voice. 

Peggy was the one who answered, “Do you honestly think your father is the type of person to do anything to harm you?”

“...No.” 

“Do you think your father isn’t going to believe you?” She continued.

“...No, he’ll believe me.” 

“Do you want the person who did that to you to get exactly what he deserves?” Peggy finished.

“Yes.” Frances pulled back and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, “Okay, I want to be the one to tell him though.” 

* * *

 

“Are you serious?” Madison stared at him incredulously. The President had stopped the stenographer and dismissed him. 

“Of course I’m serious.” Alex was standing mere feet away from Madison, watching him with big hopeful eyes, “I know you wouldn’t be opposed to this type of thing. You like Eliza well enough, and she doesn’t have anything against you.”

Madison looked at Angelica, then at Laurens, and finally at Washington. None of which raised any objection, although Laurens was frowning, “Why all of a sudden?” 

Alex ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. He chewed on his lip before answering, “I don’t know, I just know that this is something that I want. You can still be with Jefferson while also being apart of our family.” 

“Don’t you need to ask your wife?” Madison tried.

Angelica offered, “Eliza already approves.” She hasn’t yet stopped filming, having every intention to show her sister when they went back home.

“So?” Alex tried, “Will you join us?” 

Madison stared at him for a long minute before relenting, “I need to call Thomas, and you need to have your family vote on it.” 

Alex grinned victorious before striding out of the room, returning only to poke his head in and check, “Do you three have a problem with it?” No one raised an objection so Alex left to call home. 

Angelica stopped the recording and looked at the Senator, who had taken out his phone and was waiting for someone on the other line to pick up. She turned to the President, “If I remember correctly, didn’t you have the state secretary call Alex at one point?”

“I did.” Washington confirmed, “They’re going to be working together in a few months, so I wanted them to at least meet before he came home.” 

Angelica nodded thoughtfully and watched at Madison left the room to talk on the phone, apparently finding the phone service in this room to be unsatisfying. She remembered when her sister first told her that she wanted more than one person, that she had so much more love to give. She never imagined it would go this far, but she didn’t have a complaint so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit more on Frances's backstory. I will not be going into too much detail on how this is dealt with or what all happened, but it's important to know that it did.   
> Also yay! Madison!


	42. The One with the Panda Bear

"Alexander, I'm not entirely sure this is a good idea." The other politician protested for what felt like the hundredth time. Alex rolled his eyes and continued guiding him out of the courtroom. 

Burr had this case in the bag, he'd done plenty of rape cases in the past. Alex had offered to do this one but Laurens refused, claiming that he wanted it to be done with as fast as possible. Hamilton wanted to be there for Laurens and Frances while at the same time he understood that this needs to be handled quietly and with just the two of them. Alex already had that scandal thing with defending Peggy, and so people might start talking if the Treasury Secretary was involved in two separate rape cases in the span of a year. 

With that said Alex had also made sure that both Laurens and his daughter knew that if they needed Alex to do anything at all they shouldn't hesitate to ask. 

So to distract him from what was going on he grabbed the hand of the newest member of the relationship as well as the hand of his wife and took off. He had something he needed to do and now seemed like the best time to do it.

Eliza argued quietly with Madison, "It's better than standing in the same room as a monster who could hurt a child like that." Her voice quietly seethed with barely contained anger. Eliza had never been the type to hate anyone, but she actually had to leave the courtroom to vomit at one point. 

Alex turned around and stopped walking, looking at the both of them, "Look, there's nothing we can do but be thankful that Frances told us before it was too late to do anything. We can support her and see if she needs any sort of professional help, but right now she needs her dad and she needs to see that bastard locked away for a very long time." He ran a hand through his hair and added, "Besides, have you heard about what happens to people who molest children in prison?" 

That thought did little to comfort Eliza, but she didn't vocalize any of her problems. She understood that there was nothing she could do and that thought made her feel... helpless. She wanted so badly for this to all be over and for Frances to start smiling and laughing again. Peggy told her that she was sure they'd see the young girl's smile again soon. 

To change the subject Eliza asked, "Where are we going?" 

This thoroughly distracted Alex and he turned to her shot back, "I don't know, where are we going?"

"Alex, aren't you the one who wanted to go somewhere because you had something very specific that you wanted to do." Madison was looking at him as though he'd lost his mind.

Alex waved away the concerns for his mental health and confirmed, "Yes, but I don't know the exact place. Eliza." He placed his hands on her shoulders, "Where did you buy _your_ _bed_? We need a new one and it needs to be super comfy." His voice betrayed the utmost urgency.

"I'm certain I've already told you." Eliza raised a brow, still not sure as to why her bed was so important to him

"Probably, but I don't remember." Alex shrugged, "A lot has happened since then. We got a new person to join us, and also we should buy baby stuff so we can begin to set up a nursery." 

That last part got Eliza clapping, "Oh this is my favorite part!"

"Do we even know the gender of the child?" Madison looked back and forth between the married couple. 

Eliza twirled a piece of hair in between her fingers, "No, but Lafayette suggested that we build a gender neutral nursery. I like the color green and that's not assigned to a specific gender so the room is going to be themed a nice lime green that's not too harsh on the eyes." She turned and walked out of the front doors, pausing at the top of the steps of the courthouse for the two men. Eliza continued talking about what she had planned as they walked down the street, "The crib is being hand built by a family friend so we don't need to worry about that, but I want to start looking for the basics like paint and and blankets and toys right now. We should also buy a stroller." She stopped walking after she said that and looked at Alex, "Did you grab any money?"

Alex flashed a wallet and said, "It has Lafayette's card. We're good to buy whatever you need. I have a friend who owns a moving truck, and I just got off the phone with them before I pulled you two out of the room." The trio continued walking, "They'll be ready when we call once we find the stuff. Also," He added as an afterthought, "Frances mentioned something about wanting one of those big televisions for her room, so I figured while we're shopping we can pick that up too." 

"Does Frances also want a game console or is she content to just have a television?" Eliza checked, her motherly instincts beginning to kick in. She wants Frances to be as happy as possible, "Because we can probably afford to  buy something for her to play video games on that's not just her computer." She looked at the two men, "Isn't that what children like?"

"The ones who are raised right." Alex responded before answering her question, "Let's start with just getting the television, and if she wants a game console we can buy that with Washington's money instead of Lafayette's."

"Are you just going to buy things using everyone else's money?" Madison asked, not looking too pleased, "Don't you have a job Hamilton?" 

"Sure I do,  a better one than you do at least." Alex snapped, "What I don't have is a way for me to have enough money to keep twelve people comfortable and happy on my own." 

"Twelve people?" Madison looked alarmed, slowing down as he walked. Although that was probably less because he was alarmed and more because he was currently getting over an illness and the pace they set was too fast. 

Alex answered, "Yes." He began holding up his fingers as he said each name, "Me, Eliza, Laurens, Angelica, Peggy, Lafayette, Aaron Burr, Theo Burr, George Washington, Hercules Mulligan." When he reached ten he started over, "Martha Washington, and you. That's twelve." He put his hands down and looked pointedly at the other man.

Madison looked surprised, "I wasn't aware that I've already been included." 

Now it was Alex's turn to look at Madison as though he were crazy, "You've been included since we voted and the vote passed unanimously." 

They continued walking without anyone speaking for a few moments until Alex broke the silence by musing, "Of course, I have noticed that John didn't look too happy." He looked at his wife, "Do you know what that was about?"

Eliza hummed in confirmation and told him, "Yes, he told me yesterday. It's nothing against Madison himself, but Laurens doesn't like Madison's boyfriend."

Alex rolled his eyes, "Well we're not going to date Madison's boyfriend, are we?" He didn't allow Eliza time to answer the rhetorical question because they arrived at one of the stores. This one was for children's toys and such. He entered without another word to his partners.

Eliza didn't follow right away but instead turned to Madison, "I believe my husband is jinxing himself." 

James took a minute to cough before confessing, "Actually, Thomas doesn't like Hamilton either. I may or may not have complained about Alex quite a bit."

Eliza gave a warm smile, "Everyone has complained about Alex quite a bit, but it's nice to know that they've both thought about each other at least once."

"Why are you so interested?" James frowned at her, the pieces not quite fitting together, "You told me that you and your sister wanted to use Thomas to help give women equal rights, but you don't need him to join this little...family to do that."

Eliza looked down at her feet, "It's more something for Lafayette, and now I guess for you." It was her turn to confess, "Lafayette has spoken fondly about Mister Jefferson, and clearly you seem to like him quite a bit. I understand that in a relationship as large as ours is it's difficult to find someone whom you can be close to. Lafayette found George, but George is married, so if I can get Alex to agree to Mister Jefferson, then that's someone whom both you and Lafayette can have that you're particularly close with."

When James spoke next his tone had grown warmer, "That's very considerate of you, but you haven't met him yet. For now don't focus on Jefferson, focus on your child." 

Alex stepped out and interrupted Eliza's reply, "Are you two coming?" He looked impatient.

Eliza raised a brow, "Do you have something specific you want from here, or are you always in a rush?" She responded, sounding less like herself and more like Angelica.

"I'm always in a rush." Alex answered cockily. He walked back into the store while calling loudly, "I'm nonstop but without the Laurens Interlude!"

Madison frowned, "What's the Laurens Interlude?" 

Eliza shook her head, "Alex has a world of his own inside that large beautiful brain." She winked, "I just roll with it, but I think it's almost time for him to have an affair."

"An affair?" Madison was alarmed.

Eliza nodded her head before walking into the store and calling, "With the hot lady in the red dress!" 

James Madison laughed to himself, still not entirely sure what he'd gotten himself into. Still, this proved to be an amusing family. There was never a day where something wasn't going on.

Eliza was quick to find a stuffed panda bear and was gazing at Alex with big eyes when Madison caught up with them. Hamilton was laughing, "Is that for your or the kid?" He teased.

"Clearly it's for our child." Eliza told him, "The only teddy bear I need is Mulligan." 

Alex laughed and checked the price, "I'll just buy this on my card instead of Laf's." He grimaced when he actually read how much it was going to cost. To be fair, the panda bear was almost as large as Eliza herself, "Maybe we should have someone buy this as like a baby shower gift." He suggest. Eliza pouted and slowly put it back. Alex continued, "I'm sorry love, but I don't have sixty dollars to blow on a stuffed animal."

Madison sighed, "Don't put it back, I'll pay for it." The couple turned and looked at him, noticing that he was here for the first time since they'd entered the store.

A slow smile stretched across Eliza's face, "Are you sure?" She asked, her brown eyes alight with hope, only furthering Madison's desire to purchase the bear.

"Yes." He nodded, "While I'm not as wealthy as the President, your French friend, or Thomas. I am a multimillionaire. This means that I do have sixty dollars to blow on a stuffed animal." He paraphrased what Alex had said, finishing with, "Just this once though. Rich people stay rich by not spending money." 

Eliza dropped the panda and gave James a tight hug, "Oh thank you! This will be the first official gift for our little baby!" She looked at Alex and the man smirked. Eliza proceeded to pick back up the bear and rush to the checkout, completely forgetting about buying any other toy in her excitement. 

Alex grabbed Madison's hand and gave it a little squeeze before bringing it up to his mouth and placing a chaste kiss to his knuckles, "Thank you."

"For buying this toy?" Madison honestly didn't see the point.

"No, someone would have eventually bought the panda for Eliza." Alex shook his head, "Thank you for making her that happy." He watched his wife fondly as she placed the bear on the checkout counter and turned to look at them, tapping her foot in excitement, "She deserves to be this happy all of the time, and I realize that while that's not possible and sometimes I need to be the bad guy it's something that I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to achieve."

"Your goal is Eliza's happiness?" Madison was shocked by the obvious love Hamilton held for his wife. In these days that was becoming less and less common. 

Alex nodded, "It's the most rewarding goal. I could work to build my fortune or build something that's going to outlive me, but if she's not happy then what's the point?" He started walking slowly towards her as she turned and started talking to the cashier, "After all, if I were to die tonight, who do you think is the most likely to tell my story? She would do it and expect nothing in return, and it's because of her kindness and generosity that would cause her to do that. Surely she must be some sort of angel or celestial being." Alex turned slightly to say, "It's only logical that one would do anything to make this perfect woman as happy as possible, and since in this instance I couldn't be the one to do it, i felt the need to thank you."

That was a long and convoluted explanation as to why he was thanking James, but it was also a very Hamilton thing to do, so Madison dropped the issue and paid for the animal in silence. 

The rest of the things they bought were paid for by Lafayette, but nothing made Eliza smile as much as the giant panda bear did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the last of anything remotely angsty for a little while, so just be prepared for upcoming fluff


	43. The One with the Bookstore

Alex checked his phone once more to be sure that he had at least ten minutes before he needed to be home for the gender reveal of the baby before walking into the bookstore. There was a book that he was really interested in reading, but it wasn't out in normal stores, despite the fact that the book had already been released. He'd made the request for the White House library to get it but it wouldn't be in until next week. Alex didn't have time for that. 

He nodded to the pretty lady receptionist and went straight for the political section. This bookstore is famous for getting new releases in a timely manner. Unfortunately, as Alex should have predicted, the library did not have the book in store yet. 

Alex sighed and texted Angelica, telling her that he wouldn't be able to pick it up until next week. The woman had been looking forward to reading the book as well. He hoped that she wasn't too disappointed. 

As he was moving to leave he glanced at the cafe section of the bookstore, and debated getting something for Eliza. He knew she'd be happy if he picked her up anything at all, but at the same time he didn't really have the time for that. 

As he turned to go he caught sight of something that interested him. James Madison was sitting at a table having coffee with some chick. Alex wasn't aware that Madison was with any girls. He knew that Madison used to be married before his wife fell in love with a girl and eloped- Alex had sent them congratulatory wine and flowers when he found out, just to grind Madison's gears- but aside from Jefferson, Madison was supposed to be single. So what is he doing with a girl? Not that it's any of Alex's business...

Screw that, Alex impulsively made the decision to make it his business, and walked over to them. As he neared he heard Madison say, "So this should be the last of it."

The girl was eyeing him warily, "Am I the last one?" She didn't look too happy, which only made Alex more curious. 

So he walked up behind Madison and slung and arm over the other man's shoulder, "Whatcha doin'?" He asked, trying to sound as nosy as possible.

Madison sighed, "Hamilton, this is Sally. Sally, this is Hamilton." He introduced, "And what I'm doing is none of your concern." He save Alex a pointed look so Alex raised his arms in surrender and backed off. 

He said, "Yeah, sure. None of my business. Look, I'm gonna get something for Eliza to drink, then you and I need to be back at the house." He turned around and walked up to the desk without waiting for a reply. 

Eliza didn't have a specific favorite drink, but he knew what she liked and what she didn't like. He smiled at the pretty barista and requested, "I need a tall Caramel Macchiato and a chocolate chip cookie." The cookie's for Lafayette. Alex feels the need to spoil them.

When he turned back around he noticed that James was handing the girl a check, and apparently it had a lot of money because the girl smiled and said, "Thank you." There were tears coming to her eyes. Madison waved her away and she curtseyed once before leaving the store. As she was walking out of the door she turned to glance behind her and she and Alex locked eyes. She quickly averted her gaze and left the building.

The barista handed him the order and he walked over to Madison, "What was that about?"

"It's not really any of your business." Madison sounded exhausted, well more exhausted than usual. Alex pouted and gave him his best puppy dog eyes so Madison relented, "It's not mine to tell, I'm just the messenger." 

"Can you give me a hint?" He tried.

James looked down at the drink Alex had placed on the table and motioned for the other mad to sit down where Sally had been sitting, "Jefferson is cleaning up his messes. He's recruiting my help to save his fortune, and so that's all I'm doing." 

Alex blinked twice, "Save his fortune?" That didn't make a whole lot of sense. 

Madison shook his head, "It's not easy, but we're working on it." 

"..." Alex opened his mouth to say something but closed it, deciding it would be best to not get into it. 

James waited patiently for him to say something, but when Alex didn't make any move to say anything else he added, "Although if you know anyone who's smart with finances, I would greatly appreciate the help." 

Alex gave a weak thumbs up, "Yeah, got it. I'll keep my eye out." It's not like that his job or anything, but Alex being the Treasury Secretary seemed to be the furthest thing from Madison's mind at the moment. He seemed pretty worried. 

Madison took out his handkerchief and coughed into it before taking the initiative for a subject change, "How's Frances doing?" 

Alex drummed his fingers on the table, "She's doing... better, I think. I mean, Laurens thinks she should go to a therapist and Peggy thinks that they should let Frances decide what she needs." He gave a weak chuckle, "Frances is starting to remind me of Angelica, actually."

Madison smiled, "So she'll be fine."

Alex pursed his lips, "It's been three months since the trial, and she's no longer having nightmares."

Madison snapped his fingers, "That reminds me, what did Burr manage to get the sentence to be? I was never able to find out." 

Alex winked, "That's because he got a much harsher sentence than the average person who has committed the same crime. Normally," Alex leaned forward as though was telling a juicy secret, "Normally the convict would be handed a large sentence in prison, but eventually let go as long as he registers as a sex offender, I mean he's never killed anyone so..."

Madison waited for Alex to continue, but when his pause for dramatic effect was taking too long Madison prodded, "So what happened in this instance?"

Alex leaned back in his chair and shrugged, "He got the electrocution chair." Madison blinked at him in shock and Alex mouthed, "He fried." 

"How did Aaron  _ do that _ ?" 

Alex shrugged and spread out his arms, "He's the best lawyer New York has." 

"Does Frances know the sentence?" 

Alex nodded, " _ Oh yeah _ , she's the one who requested it." 

This time when Madison spoke, his voice was tinged with awe, "You're right, she _ is _ starting to sound like Angelica."

"Angie's a good role-model. She's gonna be a fantastic aunt."

"And how's the mother doing?" Madison hasn't really been around the house that often, which was fine but it means that he was kinda out of the loop on these types of things.

Alex didn't hesitate, "What mother? Eliza? She's flawless." 

"Alright, but that's not what I asked." James is lucky that he's patient, "How is she, as in any morning sickness or soreness?"

Alex shrugged, "Not really, but I'm mostly in my office so I haven't really been able to find out. She did tell me that she wants me to stay after they reveal the gender of the baby while everyone else leaves the house... for some reason." James eyed Hamilton like he was stupid and the man seemed to understand, "Oh _. Oh. _ Yeah, okay we should go back to the house." He stood up and turned to go, but was stopped when he came face to face with that man he saw that other night. 

Alex frowned, "Mister Reynolds." He greeted. The man returned the frown when he saw Alex but walked over to talk to him.

"Mister Hamilton." He glanced at James, "Mister Madison." 

"How's the wife?" Hamilton checked pleasantly. At the man's blank story Alex prodded, "You know... Maria Reynolds, your wife. Kinda shy and doesn't  _ really _ talk to me." 

"Fine." The man told him curtly but didn't offer any other information. 

"Well, that's great. It was nice seeing you." Alex turned and grabbed Madison's hand before forcefully pulling him out of the bookstore. When they were safely out Alex told him, "Pretty sure he abuses her, but I have no solid proof."

"Who  _ was _ that?" 

Alex turned down the street that connected with his own, "That's James Reynolds. He's known famously for getting drunk and breaking minor laws, has like a million tickets that he still needs to pay. He's also known for dating and sleeping with several different women." Madison gave Hamilton a pointed look and Alex rolled his eyes, "Not like me, but like...cheating. Poor Maria isn't doing anything about it, she doesn't even talk to me when I jog past her house and she's sitting in her front yard."

"Maybe she doesn't like you." Madison tried.

"No,  _ you _ don't like me." Alex argued, " _ She's _ never met me, I mean aside from introducing ourselves. I think I'm going to try and see if Eliza will go and talk to her, maybe she can get her to open up." He glanced to the sky and absentmindedly asked, “Is it supposed to rain today?”

They reached the house and Hamilton bounded up the steps and opened the door, not at all surprised to see everyone already here. Angelica folded her arms and Alex glanced at the clock before grinning victoriously, "I am only four minutes late!" He declared.

Angelica snapped, "You shouldn't be late at all."

Alex shrugged, not looking the least bit apologetic, "Hey, so now that I'm here can you just tell me what the child is?"

"It's a baby, we've been over this." Peggy sassed.

At the same time Lafayette asked, "Who's that cookie for?" He was eyeing it greedily. 

Alex seemed to remember that he was carrying something, "Oh right! This is for you and..." He frowned at his empty hand, "I think I left the drink on the table. I'll be right back." He tossed the cookie to the Frenchman and turned around and left. 

Eliza called, "Alex, it doesn't matter." He didn't listen, electing instead to ignore her and jog down the street anyway. She sighed in exasperation, "Oh well, I'll tell all of you instead and Alex can just find out when it's born." 

She looked around and then squealed, "It's Philip!" She was greeted with hugs and congratulations.

Angelica continued, "He's a healthy boy."

"I kinda wish that it was going to be a girl." Laurens sighed, "Just imagine, a little Alex." 

"That's a scary thought." Peggy looked down and they all reflected on what it would be like to have two Hamiltons, "But who knows, maybe he'll act more like Eliza."

"It's a boy?" Alex's voice came from the doorway. He looked shocked and sort of upset, "You told them without me?" 

"I was going to have you find out when he's born." Eliza told him, not the least bit apologetic. Alex pursed his lips and walked the rest of the way inside, closing the door behind him. He wordlessly handed her the drink and sat down on the sofa.

"Didn't you want a son?" Laurens was starting to look worried when Alex continued to not speak. 

Slowly Alex nodded, "Yeah, I'm just... it just settled in that I'm going to be a father." Tears had started to swell in the corners of his eyes, "I'm going to have a son." His voice cracked. Eliza laughed, walked over to the couch, and pulled him against her chest, stroking his hair soothingly.

As she did this Angelica commented, "I didn't know you were a crier."

Alex hid his face in Eliza's bosom, "Shut up." His voice came out muffled. 

"It's cute." She teased. 

Alex pulled back just enough to turn to look at everyone else in the room, "How many of you lost the bet?" 

Lafayette waved their hand dismissively, "We'll worry about that later." 

"Yeah, for now we can just appreciate the fact that Alex cries when he's happy." Peggy mentioned. 

Alex groaned, "This is why I spend most of my time in my office." 

"You love us." Eliza reminded. He nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist and settled in to be more comfortable. It wasn't long before his breathing deepened.

"Did he... did he just fall asleep?" Burr frowned at the now still Hamilton. 

"I think so." Eliza sighed, "That's a shame, I had plans for the evening." She didn't stop stroking his hair, "This is fine too, I guess." After a long silence Eliza looked around, "Well... do you want to watch a movie or something?"

Hercules agreed, "I like movies." 

"Can we watch something Disney?" Frances requested. 

The group settled on the movie and watched 101 Dalmatians with the only background noise being the rain outside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long day for poor Hammie. He just needs to nap using Eliza as a pillow.


	44. The One with the Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A road trip with John and Alex.

The boys knew that their video game time was over as soon as Angelica marched into the room with her hands on her hips. She peered at the television screen before saying, “It’s a beautiful day outside.” When neither Alex nor John made any move to pay attention to her, she walked over, grabbed John’s console, killed Alex’s character, and shut off the game, “So go outside.” Her tone indicated that there would be no arguing with her. 

Despite that, Alex was always up for a challenge, “But it’s even more beautiful inside.” He stood up and looked for his shoes anyway, “Hey, speaking of beautiful, what if Eliza needs me?” He found one underneath the couch, but couldn’t find the other one with it.

Calling Eliza beautiful is usually a way to get Angelica to let you be, but this time she didn’t look amused, “Eliza doesn’t need you right now. She needs peace and quiet in this house. I know you’ve never been pregnant before but it isn’t as fun as you think it is.” 

John tossed Alex’s other shoe at him from where it lay underneath the movie shelf. As he put them on, Alex muttered something under his breath about her never being pregnant either. Instead of fighting with him, Angelica simply raised an eyebrow and let the comment slide. She must have really wanted them out of the house.

He paused in the doorway and looked back at her, “But why did you have to kill  _ my  _ character?” He was winning too...

This time she did smile, “I thought it would be fun. I was right.” She made a shooing motion with her hands, “Now go and leave us women to some peace and quiet.” 

Alex laughed and called, “Love you Angelica!” The door slammed on his back. He looked around outside and sighed contentedly, “She was right, it’s nice outside.” 

John commented, “She’s always right.” Alex laughed and nodded in agreement. 

He gazed around, “Still, what are we supposed to do? Please tell me you grabbed the keys.” John held them up and winked, “Awesome! So now we just need to… go somewhere.”

“Road trip?” John offered. He looked hopeful, “We can just drive and hang out. It’s been awhile since we’ve had just a me and you day.” 

It didn’t Alex long to consider it, “I’m in, but you’re driving!” He stumbled down the stairs and walked over to the passenger side of the black vehicle. John pressed the button to unlock the door and got into the driver’s side, “Oh hey, we should probably stop somewhere for drinks.” Alex mentioned. 

John nodded and commented, “We can go buy McDonald’s. I want fries anyway.” Alex laughed and John defended, “I’m weak.” 

Alex brushed his hair back and out of his eyes. He didn’t have time to grab a hair tie before they were kicked out, “You’re probably one of the strongest people I know.” He argued.

John laughed and pulled out of the driveway, “That’s bullshit. Let’s think about this objectively.” Alex nodded and waved for him to begin, “Angelica.”

Alex relented, “Okay, I said you’re one of the strongest people. Angelica is the strongest person, but you’re like the second.”

He turned on the turn signal and stopped at the stop sign, waiting for the school bus to drop off the kids. That reminded him that he should probably put up a stronger fight to get Frances to go to school, but he didn’t want to pressure the girl into doing anything, “What about George Washington?” 

“Washington is human too. I stand firm in my belief that you’re stronger.” Alex argued. John turned in his seat to face him, but before he could say anything Alex pointed out, “The bus is gone.” 

Looking back at the road and turning in the direct the bus had come from John responded, “I could never be the president like Washington is.”

“You have done more for equal rights for everyone, women and slaves, than Washington will ever do.” It was slowly becoming clear that he wasn’t going to win this argument, “I stand firm in my belief that Washington is the third strongest person I know.”

John mumbled, “Washington would never go order fries from McDonald’s when he’s just supposed to get drinks.” Alex chuckled but didn’t comment. John took a moment to think about how that would go, before determining that the train of thought was just too weird.

“Okay, Eliza.” Surely the love of his life is a strong figure in his eyes. 

Alex frowned and chose his words carefully, “Eliza is,” He paused, “ _ nearly perfect _ , but I don’t think she’s stronger than Washington.” That one John actually agreed with. Alex made up for it by saying, “She’s probably the fifth strongest.”

“Didn’t you skip a number?” John was pretty sure five did not come directly after three, but he also knew that Alex could argue that it did and win. 

Alex shrugged, “Lafayette.” Alex pointed at a sign on John’s side of the window, “I hear that they’re opening this winter. Apparently it’s this restaurant that’s also a hair salon.” 

John didn’t have time to turn his head and look but he commented anyway. “Weird.” John dragged the word out, “Why?” There didn’t seem to be a logical point to that.

Alex thought about it, “Well, think about it. If you’re getting your hair done and you get a craving for fries, you could send someone across the hall and get some in like only a couple of minutes.” He shook his head, “Of course, it’s easier to just have one of our women do our hair.”

“Cheaper too.” John commented, “But most people don’t have a  _ harem _ like we do.” Alex hummed and John continued, “So I can understand why-” He stopped himself as a sight on the side of the road caught his eye. 

There were three people, all slaves, drinking slushies and laughing together. Alex noticed this too and frowned, “What’s going on?” That’s certainly not something you see every day.

John shrugged and pulled up next to them. He recognized the male with them, ad it seemed he was recognized too, “Hey it’s lieutenant colonel Laurens!” The man walked over and John took off his seatbelt. He reached across Alex so they could fist bump and the man laughed, “What’s up? You haven’t changed a bit.” 

“No, but you have.” John turned and addressed Alex, “Joshua here was one of the men in my battalion.” He explained. To Joshua he commented, “You look like you have more freedom.” 

The two women behind the man cheered and he laughed again, “You know it! Not only free, but compensated one-hundred percent for our work.” He shrugged, “I wanted more but we took what we could get.”

A slow smile stretched across Alex’s face, “Who freed you?” He breathed.

The man leaned against the window, “Technically it was Thomas Jefferson, but James Madison is the one who gave us our money and signed the document allowing us to own land.” 

Both John and Alex were caught off guard, “Did Jefferson free all of his slaves, or just a select few?” 

One of the women walked up, “It was all of us, even Sally was let go.” 

A car behind them honked and John put back on his seatbelt, “Hey, we gotta go. Enjoy your freedom!” They said their goodbyes and drove off.

As soon as it settled in Alex huffed out a slight laugh, “We should buy Madison dinner. That’s absolutely incredible.” That’s probably what Madison was doing in the cafe all those weeks ago.  

John couldn’t help but agree, “Now if only every slave owner could do that.” Alex murmured his agreement. In a perfect world they would, but for now he was going to take what he could get. He couldn’t imagine Martha Washington ever freeing all of her slaves. Eliza could probably convince the women to free some, and Lafayette could probably convince George to free some more, but that was it.

They pulled through the McDonald’s drive-thru and as John just finished ordering Alex whispered, “Hey. Pst.” And tugged gently on his boyfriend’s sleeve. 

“Alex we are in the same car.” John turned to look at his boyfriend, his eyes glimmering with amusement.

Alex ignored his statement, “I want fries too.” At John’s look Alex defended, “What? I’m weak.” He repeated. 

John laughed, “I love you.” He commented to his boyfriend, and then leaned over to place the order for a second large fry. Alex gave a soft smile and grabbed John’s hand, bringing it up to his mouth to kiss his knuckles in response. They’ve been together for so long Alex no longer needed to say it back.

Once they had their food and drinks they no longer had a set destination, so John just drove, “Oh hey, when are you going to the White House next?” He checked.

Alex ate a fry thoughtfully, “I think I’m going tomorrow?” He phrased it like a question, “Why?”

“Frances said that she wants to go with you and see what exactly it is you do for a living.” John smirked, “I told her that all you do is work and complain about people not working.” 

Alex agreed, “That’s pretty much all I do.” He paused, “Sometimes I argue with people.” 

“Just sometimes though.” Alex nodded sagely and John laughed, “More often than not you’re not arguing with people.”

“Exactly! I’m a pretty agreeable guy actually. Just do what I say when I say it.” Alex shook his head, “But people don’t realize that that’s all it takes to please me.” 

John whistled, “I didn’t know you were into that kind of thing.” Alex laughed but before he could tell him that that’s not what he meant John continued, “We’ll have to try that sometime.” 

Alex pursed his lips, “I mean, if you’re offering I won’t fight it.” He winked, “I’m always up for trying new things.” 

Before John could continue, Alex’s phone rang, “It’s Angelica.” He answered, “Hey babe.” He listened to what she was saying before slowly hanging up the phone and slinking back in his chair. His face lost it’s color and he looked like he was going to throw up. 

John waited for him to speak but when he didn’t he stopped the car over on the side of the road and asked, “Is everything okay?” 

Alex took a minute to pull out his phone, and John watched as he dialed Washington, only furthering his suspicions that something was terribly wrong, “Sir.” Alex glanced and his boyfriend, “I can’t go into work tomorrow.” He paused, “Actually I need two weeks of vacation time.” Hamilton’s face brightened considerably, “My wife just went into labor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did ya miss me?


	45. The One Where They Meet Philip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Philip is born

The nurses fussed around the hospital room as Eliza lay there, physically drained. They just moved her to where she would be staying while she recovered for the next couple of days. Angelica had been here holding her hand but she left to find Alex. Alexander had  _ been _ here but somewhere in the middle of childbirth Eliza had yelled at him and kicked him out. In her defence it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He said something that she couldn’t remember- she thinks it was a pun- and she made him leave. She knew he wouldn’t be upset about it, but still she felt a little guilty… Perhaps she’ll have Peggy bake him some cookies as an apology. 

She had a brief opportunity to see her son as the doctor showed her that he was okay, but then they took him away to clean him and make certain he was healthy. She hoped Alexander would be back in time to meet him at the same time as she. That was another reason she felt a little guilty about kicking him out. 

Any guilt that she felt melted away when a nurse stepped forward and said, “Miss Hamilton, would you like to meet your son?” Eliza wondered briefly what sort of mother would say no to that question, but also understood that certain responses apply for different situations. 

She held her arms out and the nurse stepped back after handing her the baby. She offered, “He’s healthy and clean. If you want I can step out and give you privacy…” She trailed off. Eliza nodded unable to speak or tear her eyes away from her son. He was swaddled in white blankets. Lafayette and Peggy requested that they do a gender neutral theme for Philip and Eliza had to agree. If he chose to be a female or nonbinary then she would still want them to be able to look back on their baby pictures with fondness. 

She took a moment to compose what she would say, but found herself at a loss for words. She stared at her child and felt only joy, a euphoric joy, course through her. She knew without a doubt that she has never loved anything as much or as unconditionally as she did as she stared down at her son. To put things into perspective, “I would die for you.” The words came bubbling out of her in a whisper. She didn’t know why she needed to whisper, the nurses had left to give her some privacy. She continued whispering anyway, so as not to break up this blissful quiet, “You are so precious to me.” Her voice shook with emotion and her eyes teared up from happiness, “You’re going to grow up knowing that your mother loves you so  _ so much. _ No matter who you decide to be I will support you unconditionally.” She stopped speaking outloud, no longer finding the words to describe to him exactly what she felt. 

She knew deep down that she wasn’t going to want to ever let her child go, but at the same time she wanted to introduce him to everyone else. 

It was at that moment that two knocks sounded at the door followed by her husband poking his head in, “Is it safe to come in yet?” He checked. His eyes instantly fell to the baby in her arms and he walked in without waiting for a response. Angelica, still standing in the doorway, frowned at him.

She noticed what he had his attention trained on and she winked at her sister, “I get to meet him next.” She spoke softly while still throwing her voice enough for her sister to hear. With that she closed the door to give the couple some time alone with their son. 

Eliza looked into Alex’s eyes and found that he had already begun to tear up. He knelt down beside her and tore his eyes away from Philip to look at her, “You’re beautiful.” He told her, speaking softer than he had when he first poked his head in, “And he’s perfect.” 

Eliza smiled in response, “Do you want to hold him?” She offered. Alex wasted no time in nodding his head. He awkwardly scooped Philip out of her arms and into his own. He sat in the chair right next to the bed so Eliza could still see the face of their son. For a while Alex didn’t say anything to him, only stared with pride and something  _ else _ . Eliza asked, “Do you have anything you want to say?”

He looked up at her, “I could speak to him for _ hours _ , but to spare you from that I’ll do that part when you’re asleep.” She mouthed the words ‘thank you’. Alex smiled and looked back at the baby, “Hi Philip.” He cooed, “I’m your daddy. It’s nice to meet you.” His voice choked up and he stopped speaking for a second, “You have rendered me absolutely speechless. There’s so much I want to tell you.” He glanced up at momma and then offered a slight smile down at the child, who had opened his eyes and was watching him, “But to spare Mommy, I’m not going to. I don’t even know where I would begin.” He swallowed before continuing, “You need to know how proud I am of you. One day you’re going to do incredible things. You’re going to blow us all away.” His smile faltered before picking back up, “My father wasn’t around for me when I was growing up, but I promise you I’ll be there for you. You’re not going to grow up without me in your life.” He stopped speaking completely after that, occasionally mouthing the words I love you or making soft noises. 

When Eliza was certain he was finished, she called, “Angelica?”

She didn’t have to wait too long before her sister walked in, closing the door behind her. She moved over and crouched down next to Hamilton. She grabbed one of Philip’s hands and played with it softly, almost mimicking a handshake. Eliza smiled, watching this display of affection with fondness.

Alex looked back and forth between the baby and the aunt, “Do you want to hold him?” He offered.

Angelica glanced briefly at Alex before looking back at the baby, “Only if you’re willing to hand him over.” She looked to her sister, “I’ve devised a system of how we’re all going to meet him before some of the family needs to go home or go to work. Washington isn’t here right now so he’ll meet Philip later on. After me it will be John and Frances, then Peggy, then Lafayette and Mulligan, then- if they’re here- the Washingtons, and finally the Burrs with Madison. The last five aren’t here right now, hence why they’re last.”

Alex watched her explain this, his dark eyes dancing with laughter, “You have this all figured out.” He commented. 

Angelica shrugged, “It’s easier when we have a plan.” She held her arms out, “I’ll hurry up with my speech so the others can get their turn.” Alex nodded and handed Philip to Angelica without a complaint. He knew he would get plenty of time to be with the baby after the family has met him. After all, Eliza said that they were all the parents. 

Angelica rocked him slightly in a calming motion and stood as she spoke to him, “Hi Phillip.” Her voice turned from typical Angelica to doting mother, “I’m your auntie Angelica. It’s nice to meet you.” She slowly paced back and forth, apparently very at ease holding a newborn, “You’re going to grow up in a household that loves you _ very much _ . You’ll receive so much unconditional love. You’ll also learn  _ so much _ . There’s so many different types of family members you’ll have.” She paused for half a second to gather her thoughts, “I hope you’re not afraid to talk to us about anything that’s on your mind.” She looked up at Eliza but continued talking to Philip, “Even if you don’t want to talk to  _ all _ of us, I hope you’ll at least find comfort in sharing everything with you mother.” Angelica stopped talking there and looked back down at Philip, “That’s all I have to say for now, but I’ll have plenty of time to talk to you as you’re growing up.” She walked forward and placed Philip smoothly in Alex’s arms, “I’ll go get John and Frances.” She turned and walked out of the room without waiting for a response. 

When John walked in, the first thing he did was give Eliza a kiss on the forehead, “How are you feeling Momma?” Frances walked in and closed the door behind her, but stayed behind and didn’t walk much further into the large room.

She offered a smile, “Drained.” She considered it for a moment, “Well, drained and happy.”

He grinned, “That means you did well.” He turned and looked at Alex, “And how are you feeling?” He teased.

Alex rolled his eyes, “I don’t think I could ever get tired of holding this kid.”

John strode over and scooped up Philip smoothly. It seems Alex was the only one who was clumsy with him, “Philip.” He cooed, “You have your daddy’s nose and my chin.” Eliza laughed and John continued, “You know, I always wanted a child.”

“Dad!” Frances complained.

Laurens ignored her, “I’m glad I can have this chance to be a father.” 

Alex laughed as well, “Hey, why don’t you give Frances a chance to hold her brother?” Frances still has not moved any further into the room.

She shook her head, “No thank you. I don’t think I’m going to hold him.” When both of the parents frowned, she explained, “I don’t want to like, break him or anything. What happens if I  _ drop  _ him? Then he’ll be screwed up and it’ll all be my fault.” She shivered, “I’d rather just look at him from a distance.” Alex took on an amused expression, and he opened his mouth to tease her about it when Eliza, apparently having read his mind, subtly smacked him for what he was about to say. She didn’t have the energy to be  _ too _ nice.

John grinned, “She’s always been like this with babies. She’ll hold him when he’s older.” He slid Philip back into Alex’s arms, “We’ll leave you two to your child.”

As he walked out Eliza called, “Send Peggy.”

As Peggy walked into the room, she was looking down at her phone and texting someone. She offered, “Father says he’ll be here to meet Philip tomorrow.” Before putting her phone down and going to stand next to Alexander. She didn’t try to pick the baby up, preferring instead to make funny faces at him in a vain attempt to get him to laugh. She succeeded in getting Eliza to giggle, which is close enough.

“Is there anything you want to say to him?” Alex checked. 

Peggy tore her eyes away from Philip and looked at him. She considered it before shaking her head, “If he remembers this at all, I just want him to remember me making funny faces at him.” She informed the parents. 

Eliza gave a soft smile, “I think that’s perfect.” She agreed. 

Peggy grinned and backed up from the baby, “I’ll have plenty of time to talk to him when he’s older.” She glanced once more at him and remarked, “He has Alex’s nose but John’s chin. Why does he look like Laurens?” 

Alex sighed in exasperation, “John had no part in creating this child.” He insisted. 

Peggy scoffed, “Sure.” She turned to leave, calling over her shoulder, “I’ll send Laf and Hercules.” Before picking up her phone and leaving. 

The Frenchman strode in, took one look at Philip, and started laughing, “He looks just like John!” Alex huffed something under his breath but Lafayette ignored him, striding over and scooping him into his arms, “He has his mother’s eyes.” He spoke softly to him in French before turning to look at Mulligan, “Would you like to hold him, mon ami?” 

The larger man nodded and Lafayette placed Philip awkwardly in his arms. Alex was momently glad that he wasn’t the only one not used to the whole holding the baby thing. As Hercules was making funny faces at Philip, Lafayette turned to address the parents, “George is not coming.” He informed, “They both said that they’ll be able to make it tomorrow though.”

Alexander nodded, “I wasn’t sure they would make it today. I don’t think the Burrs or Madison are going to make it either.”

Lafayette didn’t look concerned, “They’ll meet him another time. Not everyone can take off work because your wife is giving birth.” He reminded. Alex nodded and rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly. 

He changed the subject, “But isn’t he perfect!” 

Mulligan laughed, “He reminds me of his father.” He paused, “And… John?”

Alex threw up his hands, “For the last time John had no part in creating this child!” Eliza laughed softly, enjoying the banter between her boys. She hoped this atmosphere of comfort and contentment would last. 


	46. The One Where Alex loses everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th of July Eve everyone!

Alex paced furiously through the house, stopping every once in awhile to rummage through some papers. On his third trip through the living room he stopped and stared at Angelica, who was watching television with Burr. It was a slightly odd sight, after all Angie loathes him. She seemed more focused on her show than the man sitting beside her.

Alex marched into the room and snapped, “I can’t find my papers.”

Without looking up Angelica asked, “What papers?” She seemed hardly interested. Alex looked at the television and determined that they were watching some cooking show. His _job_ is more important than the cooking show.

So he picked up the remote that was lying next to Burr and turned off the television, wanting Angelica’s full attention, “I had just finished an essay and I got up to check on Philip and when I returned the papers were gone!”

Angelica blinked at him slowly, “Did you check the top drawer of your desk?” She checked.

Alex scoffed, “Of course I did! That was the first place I looked. Honestly, Ange I’m not stupid.”

The woman slowly stood up and walked into his office. He watched with folded arms as she opened the top drawer and, without moving things around, pulled out a stack of papers. As she turned them over to show him he dropped his hands to his sides and quickly moved to stand next to her. Her only response before leaving was, “You’re _not_ stupid. You _are_ blind.”

* * *

 

Hamilton crept into the room at five in the morning and gently shook John awake, careful not to wake the others in the massive bed. When his boyfriend blinked open his eyes Alex whispered, “John, my love. Light of my life. I need your help.”

John stared at him for a moment and then rolled over and pulled Eliza closer to his chest, “It can wait until the morning.”

“Laurens, I lost something important.” Alex tried again, shaking John’s shoulder gently.

“Alex, you’re always losing things. Go back to sleep.” John mumbled something incoherently after that.

Alex glanced at Eliza a little nervously before whispering the next thing, “I lost my son.”

Laurens slowly turned around and stared at him before whispering, “Jesus _fuck_ Alex. How did you lose-”

Alex put his hand over John’s mouth and shushed him, not wanting to wake up Eliza. Sometimes, especially when it came to Philip, Eliza could be more terrifying than Angelica, “Just help me find him. He _should_ be somewhere around the house.”

When Alex removed his hand from John’s mouth the man just whispered, “ _Should_?”

Alex glanced at the sleeping figures on the bed once more before stepping back and leaving the room. It didn’t take John long at all to follow him. When they were safely in the garage John said, “I don’t know if I should yell at you for being to irresponsible or tell Angelica.”

Alex hung his head, “I know. I’m a terrible father.”

“Alexander, you lost your _baby_. Your _infant son_.”

Before Alex could say anything to try and defend himself a soft knock came at the front door. Both Alex and John glanced at each other before Alex went to see who it was. He opened the door and his eyes grew alight with happiness as he saw Philip in the arms of a woman. He quickly grabbed his son and checked him to make sure he was okay. John came forward and stood behind Alex.

Once Alex was certain Philip was fine he handed the child to his boyfriend and turned to thank the woman, but found her to have left, “Did you see who that was?” He turned and looked at Laurens, freezing when he saw who had woken up.

“Alexander.” His wife’s voice was cold, “Why did Miss Reynolds hand you our son?”

“I’m...uh… cheating on you?” He tried.

She stepped forward and he mirrored her by taking a step back, “Did you misplace our _baby_?”

Alex looked to Laurens for help but found him to have left, probably putting the baby to bed. He tried, “I love you, sweetie.”

“You’re sleeping in your office for the next week.”

* * *

 

Alex was telling Lafayette a story that he was certain the Frenchman had heard many times when John came into the room with a request, “Hey, can you go pick Frances up from school?” Today had been her first day at private school. She had picked out the school herself and Washington paid for her tuition as long as she promised to make good grades and stay out of trouble.

Hamilton agreed easily enough and John left, satisfied that the job would get done. There was only one problem, “Lafayette I can’t find the keys.”

“Mon ami, Frances is going to be ready to leave in twenty minutes. It’s a twenty minute drive.” Lafayette told him unhelpfully.

Alex put his hands on his hips, “I know that. It doesn’t change the fact that I seem to have lost the keys.”

Lafayette glanced around the room once before saying, “They’re in the freezer.”

Alex narrowed his eyes, “Why would they be in the _freezer_?”

Lafayette shrugged and Hamilton went into the kitchen to humor his boyfriend’s theory. It only took a minute before Alex yelled, “How do you _do_ that?”

* * *

 

They were at the park for a picnic when Alex abruptly stood up, accidentally interrupting Angelica and his banter/flirting. The woman didn’t look amused but waited to hear what he would say. He patted his pockets and turned to her, “I lost my wallet.”

Angelica sighed, “Where was the last place you had it?”

Alex thought about it, “In my pockets.” He decided.

The woman stood up and tapped Mulligan on the shoulder, “It’s your turn.” He sighed and stood up, having been eating strawberry jello with Eliza and Theodosia. Angelica took his place and listened as the women gossiped about the latest drama in DC.

Alex glanced at him and commented, “I like your flower crown.” The man grunted his thanks and Alex continued, “I lost my wallet.” He informed.

Hercules glanced down at the checkered picnic blanket where Alex had been sitting, “Alex.” He spoke shortly, “Look down.”

Hamilton looked at where he had been sitting, “Oh would you look at that. I was sitting on it.”

* * *

 

Alex paced through the living room, head down and eyes gazing at the ground. Peggy looked up from where she was painting her nails. Frances saw Peggy stop and turned to look at what the pretty girl was. Both girls watched with matching looks of amusement. Eventually Frances called, “Papa Hamilton?”

Alex stopped in the doorway and raised his eyebrows, “Yeah?”

The girls shared a look before Peggy asked, “Why are you not wearing any pants?”

Alex looked down at his state of undress before informing, “I seem to have lost them.”

A beat of silence then, “...You lost your pants.” Frances repeated.

“Why weren’t you wearing them in the first place?” Peggy stared at him like it was the most obvious thing ever.

Alex waved his hand dismissively, “Because if I wear pants while recieving a blow job I end up ruining them.”

Peggy made a face, “Gross. Sex.”

Frances laughed, “You always say what’s on your mind, huh?”

Alex smirked and leaned against the doorway, “Of course. Sometimes that’s not a good thing though.”

“Why don’t you just put on a different pair of pants?” Peggy went back to painting her nails, no longer interested in this.

Alex shrugged, “My debit card was in those pants.”

“Did you check the garage?”

“...Why would it be..” Alex trailed off and disappeared. He reappeared moments later, this time with pants on, “I have no idea how you knew that, but thanks.”

Peggy gave a thumbs up and Frances laughed once more as Alex left down the hall, “There’s never a dull moment here.” She commented to the older girl.

Peggy agreed, “Alex seemed to have made it his mission to have a new adventure everyday.”

* * *

 

Alex was sitting at the White House, drumming his fingers rhythmically on the desk. Nothing was being said that interested him. He heard Washington say something that was vaguely important and when he reached down to grab his pen to jot down some notes he found that his pen wasn’t where he put it.

He looked around his seat and then up and down the table, but the pen was nowhere in sight. Eventually his fidgeting got the attention of the president, who stopped what he had been saying to address Alex, “What are you doing?”

Alex looked at him sheepishly, “I seem to have misplaced my pen.”

Washington sighed and leaned back in his chair, “Hurry up and find it.”

Alex nodded and looked underneath the table before standing up and pacing around it for any signs of his pen. As he passed Adams, the man made a sarcastic comment under his breath about how Alex’s life was a mess so Alex “accidentally” smacked him on the back of the head as he passed.

It wasn’t long before Madison asked, “Is that it on the window?” Hamilton turned to look, and his face brightened when he saw it. He quickly strode over and grabbed it before taking his place at the table.

He and Washington held eye contact for several more seconds before the meeting resumed, with Hamilton promising to be good and stop making a scene.

He kept that promise until he lost the pen again.

* * *

 

It was a normal day at the grocery store. He was picking up some more cans of Root Beer for Angelica because they drank it all, some celery for Peggy because apparently she liked to eat healthy or something, and a thing of chips for Lafayette.

He was halfway out the door before he stopped and realized that when he entered the store he wasn’t alone… but he couldn’t remember who had been with him.

As he pondered this he watched a married couple walk past him, swinging their intertwined hands and looking very much in love. Alex snorted, thinking to himself that he and Eliza look much cuter together than that. At that moment Alex realized who he had lost.

He quickly paced through the isles, calling out his wife’s name. He walked throughout the entire store but didn’t find her a single time. He was getting ready to give up and just call Angelica and prepare to be killed when he found her in the candle aisle flirting with a pretty looking man.

He swiftly walked up behind her and embraced her from behind, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Eliza patted his hand and asked, “Did you almost leave?” He hummed in confirmation, “Alexander, this means that you’ve lost both your son and your wife.” He hummed again.

Eliza looked apologetically at the man and turned around so Alex could properly hold her. As she patted his back soothingly she whispered, “Your life is a mess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is actually not in the original notes of the story, but once I read that Hamilton was prone to losing things (he lost his wallet, his checkbook, his letters, his mom, his life, his boyfriend, his son, his wife's trust, some Continental papers) I realized that I had no choice but to write this chapter.


	47. The One with a Breakup

It had been a good morning. Alex wandered out of his office to brag to Angelica about how he’d finalized his debt plan and it was ready to be brought before the president’s cabinet when he stopped at the living room. Frances was sitting on the couch holding Philip and watching the news, whispering her opinions to him so he’d know what to believe. Burr was sitting on the chair scrolling through emails on his phone, not really paying attention to what was happening on tv.

Alex leaned in the doorway and tune in, wondering if there was anything going on that was worth him getting worked up about. Just when he’d given up on that the news lady said something that definitely caught his attention, “As for the New York Election the results are in! Aaron Burr beat Philip Schuyler by a large majority, making him the new senator of New York.”

Burr glanced up from his phone and accidentally made eye contact with Alex, who was staring at the television in something akin to shock. Lafayette poked his head in from the kitchen and glanced back and forth between the two of them.

Alex spoke slowly, “So that’s what you were doing.” He had locked himself in his office for so long he hadn’t noticed the specifics of what the other members of the family were up to. He just new that Burr was running for some part of the government and also there was an election going on around this time of year.

Burr considered his words before answering, “I wasn’t hiding it from you.”

Alex walked a little ways into the living room, “You changed parties to run against my father-in-law. _Eliza’s_ father.”

Burr shook his head, “I changed parties to seize the opportunity I saw. Eliza knew what I was doing and she never said anything.”

Alex scowled, his voice raising in volume just slightly, “Eliza is a gift from above and she would never tell you if what you were doing upset her. You _took_ her father’s _job_.”

“To create a job for myself. Alexander, you never told us we weren’t allowed to run for positions in an office.” Burr argued reasonably, adding to Alex’s anger.

Alex snapped, “I shouldn’t have had to tell you. I assumed that it would be basic human decency.” It was at that moment that Philip began to cry. Eliza rushed into the room, apparently having been eavesdropping and grabbed Philip and Frances, taking them out and away from the building argument.

Burr waited until they were out of earshot before saying, “With this job it’ll be easier to provide for our large family.”

Alex gave a bitter laugh, “Don’t fucking lie to me. You were managing _fine_ as a lawyer. You did this to spite me.”

Burr looked taken aback, “To spite you?” He repeated, “Alexander, your pride is going to be the death of us all.”

“My _pride_ isn’t the problem here.” Alex gestured at the television, “What’s my father-in-law supposed to do now?”

“There are plenty of jobs for retired senators.” Burr responded logically.

That wasn’t the response Alex wanted to hear, “You should give him his job back.”

Burr frowned and stood up, “Are you… are you asking me to resign?”

Alex nodded, “That’s exactly what I’m asking. He’s done so much for us in the past. We’re dating three of his _daughters_. I’m asking you to choose, our family or your job.”

Burr pursed his lips, “And if I choose my job then you’re just breaking up with me?” He checked. Alex nodded in confirmation, not at all wanting it to come to that but seeing no other choice. Burr nodded slowly, “Then both myself and Theo are leaving. He grabbed his keys dipped his head respectfully, “Goodbye.”

Alex clenched his hands into a fist and watched him walk out the door before storming to his own room and slamming the door shut.  

Alex sat on the end of his bed with a huff, putting his hands over his face and throwing himself on his back. He felt like he wanted to scream. He’d gone through plenty of breakups in the past, and sometimes they’re tough, but none have ever affected him as much as this one. He felt utterly _betrayed_. It doesn’t matter to Alex if they never went over these rules when first getting together, he’d have thought it to be common sense. After all, Philip Schuyler has done plenty for their family in the past.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Without moving his hands away from his face he called, “Go away.” He didn’t want to speak to anyone right now. The only person who could possibly comfort him was with their child in his room making sure that he wasn’t upset by the argument.

The door opened anyway and Lafayette voice broke through the silence, “Mon ami, you’re going to start losing your hair.”

That snapped Alex out of his bad mood just enough for Alex to remove his hands from his face and sit up. He glared at the Frenchman, “What?” He didn’t see how his hair would be affected by his being upset.

Lafayette ignored the question and moved to sit behind him, like he does when Alex hits a low point in his depression. He wrapped his legs around Alex’s middle and pulled Alex flush against his chest. As he massaged his neck and shoulders he finally explained, “Stress can make a person’s hair fall out, no?”

“I guess.” Alex muttered, closing his eyes and trying to enjoy his boyfriend’s attempt at comfort.  

A laugh sounded at the door, causing Alex to open his eyes. John was staring at them with a smirk, “Leave it to Laf to worry about your _hair_.” He joked.

Alex gave a small smile, “Did you hear what happened?” John hadn’t been there for the fight.

The other nodded, “Yeah, Eliza told me that you had a bit of an argument. She guessed that you’d be in here and said I should probably come talk to you.” He moved all the way into the room and closed the door behind him. Alex heard the lock click and narrowed his eyes, wary of what his long-time lover was up to.

John sat at Alex’s feet and removed his shoes and socks, apparently opting to give him a gentle foot massage.

Alex closed his eyes once more and let himself get carried away in the soothing sensations. He had a vague idea of what John and Lafayette were up to, but he hadn’t yet decided whether or not he wanted to stop it. All he has to do it tell them no, and they’ll stop at any time.

After several minutes of silence Alex spoke, “If you guys are trying to get in my pants this is a great way to do it.” He opened his eyes and looked down at John, who was giving him a gentle smile that neither confirmed nor denied what he said. He continued, “However I never pegged either of you to be the type to do something so romantic. I feel like we need rose petals and candles.”

Lafayette laughed from behind him, “If that’s what you want I’m certain we can provide.” He paused what he was doing and gave Alex a gentle kiss on his neck, “How far are you comfortable with us taking this?”

Alex always appreciated Lafayette’s willingness to ask that, never going any further than Alex wanted. He was like that with all of his lovers. Alex thought about it for a second, not breaking eye-contact with John, “I’m fine with all the way.” He informed, “Do what you two want. I trust you.”

Lafayette and John made quick eye-contact, silently telling each other what they wanted to do. When they focused on Alex once more, Lafayette silently commanded, “Up.”

Alex complied, standing up just long enough for John to pull off his pants and underwear. When Alex sat back down, he noticed that Lafayette had scooted forward so that Alex had to sit on his lap. As John began slowly kissing up Alex’s leg, Lafayette removed his shirt so he could gently tease his nipples, rolling them around in between his thumb and forefinger. Alex turned his head just enough to give Laf an open mouthed kiss.

Lafayette broke away from Alex’s mouth to leave a trail of hickeys along his neck, and Alex tilted his head to the side to give his lover better access.

John stopped what he was doing just short of Alex’s slowly rising erection. Alex opened his eyes and gazed down at him with disapprovement. John winked and started lavishing the other leg instead.

Lafayette seemed to notice that he had lost Alex’s attention because he gave a particularly hard flick of the nipple that caused him to let out a short yelp. He wasn’t in pain, it just startled him a little. Lafayette made up for it by gently massaging where he had flicked. He nuzzled Alex’s ear and whispered, “Other side.” Indicating that Alex should tilt his head in the other direction. He followed directions and was rewarded by a new line of hickeys that would certainly show at a later meeting. John seemed to like Lafayette’s idea of marking Alex because he began suckling the immigrants inner thighs, always stopping just short of the groin.

Eventually Alex whined, “I’m the only one who’s not wearing anything.”

John stopped what he was doing and eyed Alex’s penis before answering, “You’re the only one who _needs_ to not be.”

Alex, always in the mood for banter, argued, “I _like_ to see you naked. Maybe it would arouse me more than what you’re doing.”

John raised an eyebrow and removed his hands from Alex’s legs. Just when the immigrant thought he was going to comply with his wishes, John placed one hand back on Alex’s leg and used the other one to lift the immigrant’s cock so he could give the underside a languid lick from base to tip. Alex leaned his head back so it rested on Lafayette’s shoulder and let out a low moan. He could feel himself begin to harden much faster, especially when John gave another slow lick as he began to gently fondle his balls.

Alex unconsciously ground his ass against Lafayette and the Frenchman pulled away from his neck to whisper, “Stop being bad.” His voice slightly more husky than before. That gave Alex the idea to be even more bad, this time deliberately grinding against Lafayette.

He stopped and cried out when, without warning, John enveloped Alex completely in his mouth. He sucked his cheeks in until they were hollow and hummed once. Alex attempted to thrust into John’s mouth but was stopped by Lafayette’s hands on his hips.   

Using his free hands, Alex tangled his fingers in John’s hair to hold him into place, his voice coming out in breathy moans as he pleaded, “Please.” He didn’t continue with what he wanted, but he didn’t need to. John hummed again and Lafayette ground his now hard cock into Alex.

Alex didn’t need to warn them when he was coming, but he did release his hold in John’s hair just in case he wanted to pull off of him. Instead of doing that John nearly swallowed everything, allowing only a little bit of cum to dribble down his chin.

He smirked and took off his shirt, handing it to Alex, “Here just wear this.” Alex slowly put it on, feeling much more relaxed than he had been. When he was half dressed Lafayette pulled him back against the headboard of the bed so the three could lay down together, with Alex in the middle. John didn’t immediately join them, instead grabbed a clean pair of sweats for Alex to put on.

As Alex began to doze off he vaguely heard his wife enter and hold a conversation with Lafayette, “Did Burr leave us?”

Lafayette mumbled, “Yes, but only after Alex made him choose.”

Eliza didn’t reply for awhile and Alex assumed she left until she said, “Poor Alex. He liked going to dinner with the Burrs as a type of double date thing for the married people. He’s going to miss him, even if he’ll claim that he doesn’t.” She paused and then said, “You look like you have him taken care of, so I’ll go watch movies with Frances and Philip on the couch. Shout if you need anything.”

Alex didn’t know if Lafayette actually took her advice because after that he fell into a dreamless sleep for about four and a half hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes all you need after a rough day is a threesome with two other men and a long nap.  
> Does this chapter count as angst? Or does it count as smut?


	48. The One With the Argument

Soft hands gently shook him awake. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was his wife’s gentle smile. Her gaze shifted to Laurens, still lying in the bed with him. Lafayette had left so it was just the two of them. Eliza looked back at her husband and whispered, “You should wake Laurens up.”

Alex blinked twice, still half asleep, before reaching over and smacking his boyfriend in the abdomen. Luckily, John was a light sleeper and that was enough to do it. Unluckily, John was a firm believer in karma so Alex got smacked back _harder_. Alex turned his wife and looked at her with pleading eyes, but she only giggled and said, “John, the family, minus Alex, is going to the theatre. It’s mandatory.”

John sat up and sighed, “What time is it?”

“Four in the morning.” Eliza responded. Both men looked at her in alarm and she continued, “We’re going out for breakfast first.”

Alex frowned, “Why can’t I go?” Eliza smiled sweetly and didn’t respond. She waited in the room until John had changed out of his bed clothes and left.

Out in the hallway Alex heard his lover laugh loudly, and he wondered what that was about. Before he could go to ask Eliza, the woman told him, “We had a little family meeting, without you and John. In the middle of it, someone very important came home. We discussed how you broke up with Burr and how none of us really agreed with that decision. Good luck.”

Alex’s mind raced. Before Eliza could leave the room he called, “Who came home?”

Eliza winked over her shoulder, “Angelica.”

Alex sat up abruptly, and his mind raced as he mentally prepared himself for what was sure to be the most difficult argument he ever entered. Several moments after Eliza left the room Alex sighed and got out of bed, knowing that if he was going to have this conversation he was going to have to have it sooner rather than later.

Exiting the room while still wearing his bedclothes, he found Angelica in the living room. She appeared to be texting someone, glancing at him only briefly when he entered the room. After a minute of her ignoring him she turned off the phone and threw it onto the couch, turning to him and folding her arms across her chest, “Do you want to start this, or should I?” She sounded _pissed_.

Alex took a deep breath before answering her, “You can start.” He decided.

Angelica nodded. Her expression was pleasant, but the look in her eyes was not, “Yesterday, I took a trip with Martha Washington and Theodosia Burr. We went shopping, to see a movie, out for dinner, hiking through a nature trail, and then we all went and stayed at Martha’s house overnight. Or it _would_ have been overnight if Theo didn’t get a phone call from her husband and had to leave.” She frowned, “I didn’t know what happened until I came home. Eliza told me everything that she knew. Now it’s your turn.”

The first thing Alex could think to say was, “I didn’t know you went somewhere yesterday.”

Angelica raised an eyebrow, “That’s because you never leave your office.”

“I leave my office.” Alex protested.

Angelica gave a dry laugh, “Let’s count the reasons you leave your office.” She held up a finger, “To show me something that you’re proud of.” She held up a second finger, “When someone in the family is sick.” She held up a third finger, “Philip or Frances needs something.” She waved those three fingers in front of him, “That’s _it._ You got back to your office after you’re finished with all of these.” She threw up her hand in exasperation.

Alex frowned, “I can’t help it if I have to do my _job._ ”

“But when someone in the family gets a job that can benefit _all of us_ you break up with them.” She countered, “You, Washington, and Madison cannot be the only three in the family with power.”

“He stole your father’s position!”

“It’s the _senate_ Alex! There are rules. A senator can only serve so many terms before they’re unable to serve anymore. _Someone_ was going to replace my father, and we should be thankful that it was someone that we love and not some stranger who will support things that we don’t.”

“You don’t even like Burr!”

She put her hands on her hips, “That’s not entirely wrong. I don’t like Aaron, however Theo is a sweet lady.”

“Eliza doesn’t like Burr either.”

“Eliza likes everyone, she’s a gift from above. It’s not Eliza I’m defending here.”

“Then who _does_?” He snapped.

“ _You_.” She took a deep breath through her nose as though she were trying to keep her temper from rising, “Alexander, your pride is going to be your death. _You_ like Burr. You and Laurens and _sometimes_ Lafayette.”

Alex would have laughed at the Lafayette part if he weren’t so upset, “Yeah well, I don’t like people who betray me and my family.”

“You never stated in the rules that we were prohibited from taking certain jobs.”

Alex shrugged, “I just figured it would be basic human decency.”

“It’s basic human decency to hold yourself back from taking a job that can help our family in the long run? Alexander, it’s the _senate_.” She repeated, “He’s not going to have this job forever. Who knows, maybe in the next election father can take it back.”

“It would have been better if Burr waited until Father couldn’t run again before trying to office.” Alex insisted stubbornly.

Angelica slowly shook her head, “I suppose I should have mentioned it sooner, but Theo wanted to tell you all herself. We were celebrating yesterday because Theodosia is pregnant.” Alex lost his anger and he stared at her in shock. She continued, “This is a terrible way to find out this type of thing, but Aaron’s new job is much better than his previous one in terms of providing for a newborn.”

Alex looked at the floor, knowing when he had been beat but not willing to admit it, “We can just provide for their child.” He mumbled.

Angelica raised an eyebrow, “How can we do that? You broke up with them.”

Alex looked back into her eyes more than a little sheepishly, “Maybe I was too quick to judge…” Angelica nodded in agreement, “But I doubt they would even take us back.”

“The only way to find out is to call them. Now, if you need me, I’m going to take a shower.” She walked past him and when he turned to watch her she called, “ _Not_ with you.” Denying what she knew he was going to ask.

He stood alone in the living room before picking up her phone and just calling them on that. Aaron didn’t pick up the first time, but on the second try he picked up after the fourth ring, “Hello?” He sounded tired.

“Hey can we talk?” Alex began to nervously pace back and forth in the living room, accidentally bumping into the table and muttering, “Shit.”

When Burr answered him, he sounded more awake than before, “It’s before five in the morning.”

“Please? It’s important.”

There was a sigh on the other end and then, “Alright. What do you want to talk about?”

Alex took a moment to think about how he would approach this, “I guess… I mean I just wanted to tell you that I’m... sorry.”

“What?”

“After having a discussion with Angelica, it has been made clear to me that I was wrong.” He explained.

There was slight laughter on the other end of the line, “ _Now_ it makes sense. How did she do it?”

Alexander considered the possibility that maybe Burr doesn’t know that his wife is pregnant, so instead he said, “Oh you know Angelica. She just… did.” There was silence before Alex continued, “So… I guess my point to this phone call is to beg you to take us back.”

He heard a woman say something on the other end of the line before Burr said, “No need to beg. I wasn’t entirely sure how long this was going to last, but you’ve never been good at actively staying away from me.”

Alex laughed, “I can’t help it. It’s like we’re fated to be together.” He paused, “Who knows, maybe you’re going to be the one to kill me.”

“In some sort of epic duel?” Burr checked, reminding Alex of a conversation that happened before the wedding.

“Yeah! Like we’re both going to have guns but you’re going to be the one who actually shoots while I aim for the sky.” He agreed.

There was another pause before Burr said, “Theo said that she has a feeling you would fall like a total drama queen.”

Alex snorted, “Tell Theo she’s right. It would be magnificent.” The phone call was interrupted by a knock on the door and Alex said, “Hey, someone’s here. I’ll call you back.”

He hung up and tossed the phone back onto the couch before going over to answer the door. When he opened it the person on the other side was definitely not who he expected, “Uhm.. hey?”

Staring at him with a lost look on her face and smeared makeup from where she must have been crying was Miss Maria Reynolds. She looked up at him with big eyes and said, “Please, I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting for the next chapter for a while.  
> Also, you didn't honestly think Hamilton and Burr would stay broken up, right?


	49. The One with Maria Reynolds, part 1

Alex stared at the woman for a minute too long, completely unsure about how to respond. Her eyes darted about nervously, as though she were afraid someone or something was about to jump out and attack her. Eventually he said, “It’s four in the morning.” 

Her gaze fell back on him and she dropped down to her knees, “Please sir, I know it’s early but there’s nowhere else for me to turn.” Her hair bounced back with the sudden movement and he saw a handprint on her neck. Without thinking he grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the house, and shut the door. He locked it without thinking too much about the members of his family not home. He was only thinking about the pretty woman who needed his help. 

He pulled her from the living room to his bedroom. She kept up with his brisk pace easily enough, even though she was limping from where she’d lost one of her shoes. When they reached his bedroom he closed the door and sat her down on the bed, then he rummaged through some of his wife’s clothing. While he was doing this he was talking, “I’m going to need you to tell me what happened later, but first we’ll get you cleaned up. Take off your dress, I think you’re about my wife’s size.” He heard fabric rustling and when he glanced back and saw her completely nude the only thing he thought to say was, “Your breasts are larger.” 

She glanced down before looking back up at him, her eyes carrying a look of vulnerability, “Is that a problem?” 

He didn’t take his eyes away from her body as he stammered, “N-no it’s fine. I’ll just.. uh.. I think that Peggy’s stuff might fit you.”

She stood up and faced him, holding out her arms as though she were going to embrace him, giving an excellent view of her form. His eyes were unable to meet hers. He slowly nodded, “Yeah, Peggy’s stuff should fit.” He turned around and walked to her side of the large closet, rummaging around for something that would look good on Maria. He glanced back at the woman, who sat back down on the bed when he went rummaging for clothes. He determined that anything would look good on Maria. He pulled out a form fitting red dress that Peggy wore for dates and tossed it to the woman.

She stood pack up and slipped it on easily, turning her back to him in the silent demand that he zip it up. He complied and felt his face heat up as his fingers touched her bare back. His gaze went up to hers and saw her staring at him with an inviting look in her eyes. His gaze immediately flickered down to her very kissable lips and considered comforting her in a different manner. 

When he reluctantly pulled his eyes away from Maria’s lips he found the woman also considering kissing him. He stepped back, gently turned her to face him, and did the only thing he could think to do in that moment. He called, “Angelica, come here!” Maria gave him a confused look and he said, “Angelica will keep you company while I find the first aid kit. Also I need to call my wife and let her know what’s going on.” He quickly moved away from Maria and gestured at the bed, “Actually, sit there. I’m going to go get Angelica because she might be ignoring me.” 

As she obeyed his command he left the room, walked down the hall to the bathroom, and banged his fist on the door, “Angelica!” He heard the water turn off, “Angelica, there is a very pretty lady sitting on my bed and she’s not wearing underwear and also she’s not my wife!” 

The door opened and Angelica appeared wearing nothing but a towel to cover herself. She shoved past him and made her way to the room, with Alex trailing behind her. She stopped in the doorway when she saw who was sitting on the bed, “Maria Reynolds.” She greeted. 

The women stared at each other for several moments in silence until Angelica walked all the way into the room and rummaged through her side of the closet. She pulled out pajama pants and a cute top to go with. She also grabbed herself a pair of men’s boxers, preferring the looseness when going to sleep. She forwent putting on a bra. After she changed she turned back to Maria, “Does your husband know you’re here?” The woman shook her head, “Alright, I’m going to sleep because I have been awake all night, after Alex calls his wife and lets her know what’s going on he’ll bandage you up and you can sleep with me.” 

Alex took that as the command on what to do and went into the living room where he left his phone. His wife picked up quickly, “Hello, my love.” There was noise in the background. It sounded like they were in a restaraunt. 

“Hello, my darling.” He returned the sweet greeting before explaining the situation, “Maria Reynolds appeared on our doorstep asking for help. She’s pretty beat up so I took her to the master bedroom and sat her down. I made her put on that red dress that Peggy wears that’s technically a nightgown but looks too fancy to be a nightgown. Angelica is with her now.”

“Do you need me to come home?” 

“Maybe?” He phrased that as a question before explaining, “‘Liza, I almost kissed her and Angelica is going to take a nap. I don’t want anything to happen.”

Eliza said something indistinguishable to someone on the other side of the line before telling him, “Alright, John will go home and make sure you don’t do anything you're not supposed to, but Alex.” 

“Yeah?”

“The rule is that all you need to do is let me know. As long as I consent it’s not cheating.”

He looked down at his feet, his mind racing, before he responded, “Tell John to hurry.” He didn’t want to risk it anyway. 

“Okay. I love you.” 

“I love you too.” He heard the other end of the line fall flat and hung up his phone, tossing it onto the couch next to Angelica’s. 

As he waited for his boyfriend to come home he unlocked the door and went to the bathroom in search of the first aid kit. He found it not in the bathroom but in his office. He pondered for a moment how it ended up there before deciding that it didn’t matter. 

Next he went to the kitchen and grabbed two ice-packs and a bottle of ibuprofen. As he passed through the living room he stole a couple of couch cushions and somehow managed to carry all of that back to the bedroom.

He found Maria sitting on the bed next to a sleeping Angelica, having scooted back so she was no longer at the foot of the bed and instead was sitting on the pillows at the head of the bed. When he entered, the pretty woman looked up and commented, “She’s wonderful.” 

“Yeah, Angie’s great.” He agreed without thinking about it. He sat down at her feet, dropped everything that he was carrying at the foot of the bed, and gingerly took the one that looked swollen, sitting it down on his lap and pulling out the bandages. She hissed in pain and Alex paused, looking at her and commenting, “When John gets home, I’ll discuss taking you to the hospital to get an x-ray done on your foot,” before quickly finishing up applying the bandage. He moved out from under her foot, grabbed two of the cushions and used them to elevate it. Afterwards he grabbed one of the ice packs and placed it over the swollen part. 

She gave a soft smile, “Thank you.” 

He returned it and responded, “I’m not done yet, but you’re welcome.” He grabbed the other ice pack and handed it to her. As she took it and gave him a curious look he explained, “It’s for your neck.” She nodded and gingerly placed it on the bruise. 

“Are there any other bruises that need to be checked?” He eyed her carefully. When she shook her head he stood up from the bed and gave her an awkward thumbs up, “Okay, then just… stay here. I’m going to go… and  _ um _ wait for John.” 

He couldn’t stand still inside the house so he paced back and forth on the porch. It felt like ages but in reality it was only ten minutes. He tapped his foot impatiently as his boyfriend made his way onto the porch. Just before they entered, someone else stepped into their yard. 

Waving a handgun around like a madman was James Reynolds. He pointed it straight at Laurens and shouted at Alex, “Where are you keeping my whore wife!” 

Alex raised his hands and tried to slowly step in between his boyfriend and the angry man with a gun, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He feigned ignorance, hoping to get the gun pointed at him.

It didn’t work, “Don’t fucking lie to me! I watched her stumble over here.” He seemed to get an idea and he said, “Fine. If that’s how you want to play this, then we’ll trade. A partner for a partner.” And he pulled the trigger. 

Without thinking, Alex pushed Laurens aside and instantly felt searing pain in his abdomen. His vision blackened and he sank down to his knees. He heard his boyfriend shout and James Reynolds leave before he lost consciousness completely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shame on you for thinking he was going to have an affair.


	50. The One With Maria Reynolds, Part 2

Angelica woke to the sound of a gun firing. Seconds later Laurens burst into the room. He gave her a terrified look and said desperately, “Alex has been shot!”

Angelica quickly got out of the bed, commanded, “One of you call an ambulance, one of you call Eliza, and one of you call Washington.” Despite there only being two of them. She left the room to go to where Alex was lying unconscious to try and do something to stop the bleeding. Maria, not having a phone, got out of the bed and limped into the living room in search of a cell phone. As she was doing this Laurens called Washington and told him the situation.

The conversation with Eliza took a little longer and she dropped everything she was doing and returned home. By this time Maria had found a phone and was calling the ambulance. As she hung up the phone she watched Laurens leave the house. She limped to the door and watched him leave the yard. Not knowing what he was doing, she yelled, “Where are you going?”

He stopped, turned around, and frowned at her. He didn’t seem too happy and she braced herself for the anger that was sure to come her way. After all, it was _her fault_ that Alex was shot in the first place. If she hadn’t gotten it into her mind that she could actually escape that hell of a house then Alex would be safe. She wanted to crawl into a ball and die, but first she needed to do anything she could to help him get the help that he needed.

Instead of yelling at her or hitting her like she assumed, once Laurens reached her he pulled her into a hug. He whispered, “None of this is your fault. Eliza and I discussed it and as soon as Alex is taken care of we’re going to help you leave him.” Maria didn’t know she started crying until she heard a sob escape her, “No one blames you.” He murmured.

Angelica stood up, having been crouching on the porch next to Alex’s body. She gently pulled Maria away from John and into a hug of her own, “You’re not going to get into any trouble.” She assured, “This isn’t anyone’s fault but the man who shot him.”

As Angelica held Maria, John knelt down to resume doing what Angelica had stopped, and pressed a cloth against the wound.

It wasn’t long before the family’s mini-van- Eliza had wanted to feel like a soccer mom and no one is able to say no to her- came speeding into the driveway, followed closely by an ambulance.

Eliza was the first one out of the van and dashed up the steps to kneel in front of her husband, tears streaming down her face. She murmured, “No, no, no, no.” Like some sort of chant or prayer. She cupped his face gently and pressed her cheek into his chest, right above his heart. Right behind her was Lafayette, who made brief eye-contact with John before he stood up and went to leave the yard again. This time it was Angelica who called, “Where are you going?”

It was Lafayette who answered, “Angelica, I believe the term is an eye for an eye?” While John flashed his gun.

Eliza looked up at him from her position, “Please stay.” She begged. If it had been anyone asking but her, they would have left anyway. Of course, no one can say no to Eliza Hamilton.

Alex was loaded onto the the gurney and placed in the ambulance. As his wife, Eliza was the only one allowed to ride with him, but with Lafayette driving the family was able to make it to the emergency room before the ambulance got there. No one was quite sure how that happened, but they were thankful nonetheless.

As Alex underwent surgery, the family sat in the waiting room, anxious for any sort of news. Peggy played games on her phone, trying to distract herself from what was happened. Mulligan watched her and offered quiet commentary.

Eventually Lafayette looked at Maria as though seeing her for the first time, “Are you hurt?” His voice was filled with alarm.

She gave a soft smile, “Yes, but not nearly as bad as Alex.”

Eliza looked at her from where she had her face buried in John’s neck, “You should get that foot and your neck checked out.”

Maria shook her head, “It’s alright miss. My neck will mend by itself, and as long as I don’t walk, my foot is fine.”

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek medical attention for it.” Angelica took it upon herself to join the conversation, “What’s stopping you?”

Maria looked down at her hands, “I don’t... _exactly_ … have any money.” She spoke softly.

The family looked at her her in a moment of stunned silence before Lafayette snorted, “I do. Come on, I’ll pay for it.” He held out his hand and helped her stand up before leading her to the front desk. It took about five minutes but she was able to get a doctor to take her in.

As she watched the woman go, Eliza murmured, “I never thought I would spend my morning like this.”

Before anyone could respond the door opened and Burr entered with his wife, both looking alarmed. Angelica frowned, “I don’t recall anyone calling you.”

Hastily Eliza explained, “Not that we aren’t happy to see you!” She didn’t want anyone to feel offended, “We just don’t understand how you knew to come here.”

Burr gave a disarming smile, “Not to worry, Washington called to let me know. He figured that no one else would remember to tell us.”

Lafayette returned from where he’d been paying for both Alex and Maria’s medical bill and frowned at Burr, “Why are you here?”

Eliza gave a weak laugh, “We just explained that, Laf.”

He shrugged and sat down where Maria had been sitting, not pressing the matter. Probably because he didn’t care that much. Angelica waited until he was sitting to ask, “How much was it?”

He shook his head, “Nothing for you to worry about.”

John sighed and gently nudged Eliza, “Come on. You need to sleep. Angelica will call when Alex wakes up, but you’re going to make yourself sick by worrying.” She protested but he was able to get her up and lead her out of the hospital.

Theodosia and Aaron took their seats. Angelica watched them go, “That was sudden.” She muttered to herself.

Lafayette responded anyway, “John is worrying too much to stay here doing nothing while Alex could or could not be dying.” He paused then added, “Also, Frances is home alone. So it’s best that those two go.”

The remaining members of the family fell into a silence that stretched on until Maria returned from the room. Everyone looked at her expectantly. Not quite sure what to do with the positive attention, Maria cleared her throat before anxiously declaring, “Nothing’s broken. I just need to stay off of it for as long as possible.”

Angelica nodded, satisfied with that report, “Good. Hercules can carry you out when we go to leave.”

Maria began to protest when the larger man laughed, “It’s not a problem. Let us help you.” Reluctantly the pretty woman agreed.

Lafayette stood up and returned the woman’s chair to her, and as she sat he wondered, “So what happened anyway?” He sat down at Angelica’s feet and the woman began to give him a neck and shoulder massage.

She stiffened before responding, “I promise, I’ll tell you everything. Just, I want Alexander to be awake and alright before I tell my story.”

Angelica gave a soft smile, “Alright, we’ll leave it be until then.”

Two minutes passed before Maria exhaled a breath that she had been holding in and abruptly stood up. Turned to face them she clasped her hands together, “Can I please ask you something?” Her eyes grew wide and she stared at them anxiously.

It was Angelica who responded, “Of course.”

Maria closed her eyes as she asked, “How would someone go about… joining your family?”

Angelica and Lafayette exchanged glances before Angelica told her, “Well, you would need to ask either Alex or Eliza. Once one of them agrees that they could love you, it will be put to a vote. If no one has a problem with it then you’ll be one of us.”

As she finished Lafayette picked up, “You’ll have the choice of who you’d choose to live with, as I doubt you’ll want to stay with your husband.”

Maria opened her eyes and looked down at her feet, her hair flopping forward to hide half her face, “I suppose accidentally getting Alexander shot isn’t the way to get approval.”

Angelica gave a soft smile, “You know no one blames you. I’ll tell you a secret.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice, “If you want Eliza on board, you need to get Alex. If you want Alex, you need to get Laurens.”

Maria frowned thoughtfully, “And how do I get Laurens?”

Lafayette smiled slyly, “How are you with children?”

As though casting some sort of summoning spell, Eliza and John returned, this time with Frances. The young girl stopped, looked at Maria, and her eyes grew wide. Maria returned the wide eyed stare before looking at Eliza and John. Eliza still looked tired but her eyes were no longer puffy from crying.

By this time more chairs had emptied so no one needed to stand so Eliza could sit. As she sat next to Mulligan she looked up at Maria, “What are we talking about?”

Maria opened her mouth to respond, but stopped and instead looked at Frances, “I don’t believe I’ve met you.”

Frances glanced at her father before saying, “I’m Frances. I’m... uh... _his_ daughter.” She jerked her chin in her father’s direction.

Maria eyed the child critically before saying, “You don’t have much experience with makeup, huh?”

Frances looked down nervously, “No.. for most of my life I’ve been a boy.” She kicked her legs back and forth, “Is it really that obvious?”

Maria didn’t seem to notice that everyone in the family was eying her warily, waiting for some sort of response. How she takes the news that Frances is transgender will determine whether or not she’ll get the approval to join the family. She hobbled over the Frances, her foot still paining her slightly, and knelt down, “No.” She gently cupped the young girl’s chin with her fingers and tilted it up to look into her eyes, “I only asked because I feel like you should use liquid eyeliner. You have the most beautiful eyes. They’re too pretty to let go to waste.”

Frances lost all nervousness and looked at her with big curious eyes, “Really? Dad doesn’t really let me wear makeup yet. He says I’m too young…”

“Well, you have very pretty features. I think that with the right cosmetics all of the boys will be all over you.” She announced. She winked conspiratorially, “Also, red lipstick goes a long way.”

Laurens coughed, “That is exactly why she does not need to be wearing makeup.” When Maria turned to look at him she saw everyone watching her interaction with the child with light smiles. Even the Burrs seemed to approve of how she handled that.

Peggy fished around in her purse and handed Maria said liquid eyeliner, which Maria proceeded to apply to Frances. She also pulled out red lipstick, which, after looking at Laurens for permission, she also applied, “Here.” She said, pulling away and taking the handheld mirror that Peggy had fished out and was handing her, “How is that?”

A bright smile lit up Frances face, “I look like a girl.” She whispered, awe in her voice.

Maria smiled and stood up, “That’s because you are a girl. If you were a boy, not even I could make you look like this.”

Before anyone else could contribute to the conversation, the doctor returned, “Miss Hamilton?”

Eliza stood up, “That’s me.”

He gave a polite smile, “Your husband is awake. He’s going to be just fine.” A sigh of relief sounded throughout the room, and the doctor continued, “He’s ready for visitors now, just try not to mess with his abdomen. The bullet grazed an artery, and until he recovers completely he could still suffer from internal bleeding. I would also like to say that if he’s ever shot in the same spot again, he would have no chance of survival.”

Eliza nodded, “Alright. Which room is he in?”

“Twenty-two. Have a nice day.” With that, the doctor went into a door adjacent to the waiting room, leaving them to their own devices.

Eliza turned to the family, “Ready to go see Alex?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psh, I'm not going to kill Alex off yet. Don't you worry, we still haven't quite reached my otp.


	51. The One with Maria Reynolds, part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dramatic conclusion of the Maria trilogy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *warnings* mentions of various forms of abuse in this chapter.  
> It doesn't go into explicit detail.

As soon as she saw her husband, Eliza rushed towards him to give him a hug. It was awkward because she was attempting to not touch the wound but it was still meaningful. The rest of the family that was at the hospital slowly filtered into the room, with Maria as the last one entering.

It wasn’t a particularly large room, however they did have enough space to not feel squished together. The room itself looked like an ordinary hospital room, the fluorescent lights kept at a dim so as not to disturb the injured with ridiculous whiteness any more than necessary.

Lafayette reached behind Maria to close the door and give the family some sort of privacy. Alex watched with some unidentifiable emotion on his face. Instead of commenting on how he was feeling, he turned to his wife, “There are chairs for you to sit.” He nodded to the three chairs next to the bed, on the side that was opposite to Eliza, “You, Theo, and Maria shouldn’t stand.”

Eliza smiled and squeezed his hand, not letting go of it, “I’m fine right here.” She insisted, preferring to stay close to him, “However, Theo and Maria _should_ sit.” There was slight shifting as people tried to get out of the way of the two women, who listened to her and went to sit down.

Once they were comfortable Alex turned to look at John, “I just got shot for you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“Yes,” Alex acknowledged, “But aren’t I a good boyfriend? Don’t a get some sort of reward. Like a blow jo-”

Lafayette cut in, “It _is_ possible to be a good boyfriend without getting shot.” He informed him.

As Alex went to respond, perhaps to insist on a blow job _anyway_ , Angelica interjected, “This is great and all, but Maria has something she’d like to talk to you about.” She’s never cared for beating around the bush.

Alex turned his head to look at Maria expectantly, and now that she had the attention of everyone in the family she became fidgety. She spoke anyway, hoping to get to the point sooner rather than later, “I actually had something important to talk to you about when I came over early this morning.” She confessed.

Alex blinked, “Besides the whole getting away from your abusive husband thing?” He double-checked. To him, that was all the reason she needed.

Maria nodded and, in the movement, some hair dropped down and covered her eye, making her seem even more bashful than before, “I’ve been… _watching_ your family for quite some time. I don’t mean to make that sound creepy.” She covered hurriedly, then explained, “It’s just… I couldn’t help but notice. I live a block away, and sometimes I would see you and Laurens and sometimes Lafayette run along the street in nothing but your underwear shooting each other with water guns, with military skill I might add. Or sometimes Eliza and Theodosia would skip along holding hands while you and Senator Burr walk behind them, watching them with obvious affection. It’s been simple things like that that have been plaguing my mind for quite some time.

“And I knew in the instant that I was walking along in front of your house, and I heard you and Angelica have a screaming match about you not spending enough time with her and appearing to favor two people over the rest and you stormed out and then she followed and you two instantly hugged and made up-” She took a breath to steady herself before flicking her hair away from her face so she could earnestly look into Alex and Eliza’s eyes, “I would do anything to join your family.” She finished, speaking slowly and clearly.

Alex closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the paper. He muttered, “I didn’t want to have anyone else.”

Eliza looked down at him and brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face as she prompted, “But?”

Alex opened his eyes and gave his wife his full attention, “But I don’t see any other option.” He spoke softly, as though he were having a very private conversation with his wife, “I mean I guess I could give her money and send her back to her husband but that would be wrong.”

“If you don’t feel like we could balance another one, especially one with a lot of baggage, I know a pretty good divorce lawyer who happens to be a senator.” Eliza argued sweetly, “I don’t think we should force something that wouldn’t work out.”

It started to appear to the family that it wasn’t going to work out, until Frances pulled on her dad’s sleeve and mouthed ‘please’. Laurens and Angelica shared a look and the man spoke suddenly, “Can we vote on it anyway?”

Eliza turned to look at him, her brow furrowed in confusion, “If it’s not unanimous-”

Angelica cut her sister off, “You and Alex are torn. You don’t want to add another person _but._ ”

Burr quickly understood what they were trying to do and he continued, “So let us decide for you.” Alex lifted his head again as Burr said convincingly, “We’re as much a part of this as you are. If the vote’s unanimous then I’m certain one of you can learn to love her. If you’re worried about space then I’m sure she can stay with Madison or the Washingtons.”

Eliza and Alex shared a look before Alex said, “Alright, let’s take a vote. All in favor?” Every hand went up, including Frances.

Eliza turned to Alex, “I’m sure once we get to know her it won’t be too different than how it is now.” She tried.

Alex looked at Maria again, “Before we agree to anything, we’re going to need to know what exactly went down with you and your husband last night.”

Maria nodded slowly, “Well, as you may have heard from the rumors, my husband is often found cheating on me. He has been known to physically abuse me in public but he also verbally abuses me in private.” She spoke calmly, almost void of emotion, despite the nature of what she was saying, “He has never forced himself on me when I tell him no.” She gave a dry laugh, “So I suppose I have it better than some.” She admitted.

Eliza tsked, “It’s not a competition.” She chastised softly, “Just because someone else has had something bad happen to them as well doesn’t mean that your problems are any less serious.”

Peggy nodded and added, “If you asked me, I would say that your issues are just as bad if not worse than mine.”

Eliza gave her sister a slight smile before looking at Maria and prompting, “So what made tonight different?”

Maria kept eye contact with Alex as she told her story, “For the past month my husband has been attempting to sell me to people that he meets at the bar like a prostitute, and because I’m a woman I can’t exactly say no. Tonight was one of those nights. The man locked me up in a cage naked and had other men come and laugh like I was something less than human. Fortunately no one touched me.”

She took a breath and her gaze shifted to Eliza, “When I returned home I stumbled upon my husband with one of his many mistresses. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with it, so I politely requested that she leave. My husband yelled at me and pinned me against the wall by my throat. I kneed him in his crotch which caused him to release me. I rushed to your house and from then you know the story.”

Eliza looked to Burr, “How easily can you finalize the divorce?”

He looked thoughtful, “It won’t be easy, because, as she said, women are nothing more than extra property that men can do whatever they want with.” He looked at Alex and continued, “Of course, the constitution is the law of the land. If women were miraculously included with the same rights as men in..say… a final draft of the constitution or something our chances of succeeding would skyrocket.”

Alex frowned, “So what we need to do is get Madison and Jefferson on our side and our lives become a lot easier.”

Aaron nodded slowly, “Yes, but Madison has already stated that politics will not enter your private relationship.”

Alex shrugged, “I’ll convince them the old fashioned way.” He turned to Maria and his gaze softened, “We’ll get this straightened out.” He promised, “Until then I think you should stay with the Burrs. Your husband is less likely to find you there.”

A large smile stretched across her face and she quickly rushed out of her chair to give him a hug, “Thank you.” Her voice quivered with emotion, “Thank you.” It seemed that was all she could say. She looked up at the rest of the family and repeated once more, “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said that this isn't historically accurate nor is it canon compliant? I feel like I need to regularly remind you so people don't go complaining in the comments... American history is fun to rewrite, especially with all of the founders fucking.  
> Are you happy that she joined? Disappointed because you don't like her? Have you eaten today? Do I need to beat up a mean person at school for you?  
> I mean, I don't care if you don't like her because I love her but I like to know your thoughts. I care about your opinions <3


	52. The One with the Lunch

The young woman frowned at her reflection in the mirror, turning her head from side to side as she scrutinized every detail. After re-applying the eyeliner for the fourth time, she decided that she was done and this was how she was going to look. Even if it’s awful.

With a sigh, she stood up and left the comfortable bedroom that the Burrs were so kind as to give her. She found Theodosia and her husband in the dining room, and they appeared to be going somewhere. She searched her memory, trying to figure out if they told her their plans, but came up blank. 

As though sensing her presence, the couple turned and noticed her. Theo smiled softly and Aaron told her, “We’re having lunch with James Monroe. Your phone is on the counter in the kitchen and there’s a twenty under it. Feel free to order a pizza.” 

He handed Theo her purse and, without another word, the couple left. Maria waited until they were gone before searching for her phone. She found it exactly where he said and, to her surprise, she had a text. She felt her heart beat stronger in her chest and slight butterflies in her stomach as she read the name.

She silently cursed herself for acting like a silly schoolgirl with a crush when around certain members of the family. She’s an experienced adult and yet she blushes every time Eliza talks to her like she’s still some sort of virgin who wants to marry a pretty girl. 

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she opened the message to read what Eliza had to say. “ _ Hiii! Angelica and I are going to town today and we were wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch :)”  _

She tried to think about how to respond without sounding too excited or too uninterested before just going with “ _ Alright I don’t think I have anything else going on.” _ She bit her lip as she hit send and put down her phone, suddenly feeling the urge to move around. She hadn’t had a crush this serious since the eighth grade. 

It wasn’t three minutes before her phone buzzed again “ _ Great! I was hoping you’d say that because we’re already here :D”   _

Maria quickly went to the front door and opened it to find Eliza sitting on the hood of the mini-van. Angelica was in the driver’s seat and once she saw Maria she waved her over. Maria called, “One moment!” And disappeared, suddenly certain that she wasn’t dressed up enough for this. As she fished around in her closet for something appropriate to wear, she heard a soft knock on the door and turned to see Eliza watching her with an amused expression.

She leaned against the doorframe and threaded her fingers together as she commented, “I think Lafayette has competition.” 

Maria frowned at her in confusion and Eliza explained, “As the prettiest person in the family.”

Maria giggled slightly and straightened up, flipping her hair back as she intoned, “I’m certain they’re still the prettiest.”

“Alright,” Eliza relented, “But you’re a close second.” 

Maria gave her a pointed look and was unable to refrain herself from saying, “Honey, I think you’re forgetting someone very important.”

Eliza smirked, “Alex may be  _ pretty _ , but I think you have him beat.”

Maria laughed and abandoned her search for something fancy to wear, opting to go with the faded jeans, worn t-shirt, and sneakers that she’d already had on. As they walked out Maria responded, “Alex is positively adorable, but _ you’re much _ prettier than I am.” Eliza was facing Angelica in the car so Maria missed the delicate blush that painted her cheeks. 

Upon getting in the car she first noticed that it was one of those brand new models. Without thinking she blurted, “How did you  _ afford  _ this?”

Eliza laughed, “Lafayette.” 

Angelica continued as she pulled out of the driveway, “I don’t know what we’d do without them.”

“They spoil us.” Eliza joked before growing slightly more serious, “Where do you want to eat?”

Maria didn’t have an opinion either way but said, “Chinese.” anyway. That seemed like it would be good. 

A song that Eliza liked came on so she turned it up and the three didn’t resume their conversation until they were already seated. They sat at a booth with Eliza and Angelica sitting beside each other facing Maria. 

After placing their drink order, with Maria ordering a tea, Eliza ordering a water, and Angelica ordering Root Beer, Eliza asked, “So how are you adjusting to the Burrs?”

Maria leaned forward slightly in her chair, “It’s very different from what I’m used to.” She confessed, “They’re both so polite. Theo is quiet and reserved and Aaron is nice and charming.”

Eliza nodded, “When Theo warms up to you, she’ll come out of her shell. Aaron… won’t change actually, that’s how he is.” 

Angelica put her phone on the table and frowned at her, “Has your husband attempted to contact you?”

Maria shook her head, “No, not yet. I’m certain he  _ will _ though.” 

Silence descended over the table as the waitress returned with the drinks and the women all placed their order. As the waitress laughed Angelica turned to Maria, “Lafayette is also the reason that we’re able to take you out to eat.”

“How do they have all this money?” She wondered.

Eliza answered, “Lafayette is actually Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. A marquis is wealthy.” 

Maria was thoroughly taken aback, “How do you remember all of that?” 

Eliza giggled, “I got drunk with Lafayette one night and had them teach it to me.” She responded. Maria smiled, that actually sounded like it would be a lot of fun. Eliza continued, “I actually remember asking them if Lafayette was the name that we should be calling them, because it’s not  _ technically  _ their name, but where they’re from more or less. They told me that it’s easiest for everyone if I went with either Lafayette or Gilbert.” 

Maria thought this over, absentmindedly stirring her tea, “So it’s probably not best to call them Yves…” She mumbled.

Angelica laughed, “Probably not, but I’m going to do it anyway.” 

Eliza went to say something when her phone rang. Upon reading who it was she frowned, answered it, and put them on speaker, “You’re on speaker. Maria and Angelica are also here.” 

The person on the other end of the line laughed, “I didn’t know you were hanging out with Maria today.” The woman smiled when she heard Alex’s familiar voice. 

Angelica answered, “We weren’t planning to, but it was Eliza’s idea to invite her. What do you want?”

Alex mumbled, “I was just calling because I miss Eliza…” 

Maria’s heart melted but she struggled not to laugh when Eliza rolled her eyes at her, “Babe,” Eliza began, “That’s gay.” 

Alex laughed, “Babe, we’re married.” 

“Darn, you’re right.” Eliza took a sip of her water, “That’s still gay. I miss you too though.” Upon hearing that Alex laughed and hung up the phone, leaving Maria to wonder what the point of that conversation was. Upon seeing her confusion, Eliza explained, “He does that more often than you’d think. Sometimes he’ll get lonely and just want to hear a familiar voice. After all, he’s cooped up in his office all day trying to write his life away.” 

At that moment their food arrived, leaving room for another pause in the conversation. After the waitress left Angelica asked, “So do you have any questions so far about the family?”

Eliza nodded and swallowed the bite she had taken before adding, “Anything you may not get by just observing?” 

Angelica tilted her head to the side slightly, “Eliza would be the best person to ask, aside from Alex, of course.” 

Maria nodded, “I have a lot.” She admitted, “First, I was wondering where everyone fit in. It seems like there’s more platonic relationships than non platonic.”

Angelica was the one who explained as Eliza ate, “I’m going to try to cover everyone as best as I can. The first thing that you should know is that Alex and Eliza are the two most important people in the family dynamic. Without both of them in it we would lose quite a few members. No one is here for just me or just Peggy or just Mulligan. Those two are the power couple.

While I’m on the topic of them, I’ll let you know the few rules that we have. When it comes to dating other people, because most of the people in the family are poly so it would be insensitive to limit them, you may date anyone you want as long as you tell either Alex or Eliza. That way it doesn’t constitute as cheating.

Another rule we have is that if you have a problem with a specific member of the family, it’s best to get that squared away sooner rather than later, and without involving Alex. Once Alex gets involved  _ someone _ will be leaving the family. 

Also, if you decide that there is someone within the family that you want to just stay friends with, once you get to know everyone of course, you should tell Alex or Eliza, so that way it doesn’t make for an awkward conversation further down the road.” Angelica paused and took a sip of her drink, “Any other rules aren’t too serious so you can learn them as we go. It should be noted that Peggy is ace and it would be wise for you not to try to sleep with her and make her uncomfortable. She has bad memories with saying no and that failing.”

Maria frowned and looked down at the table, “I remember the video of Alexander threatening the guy who did that.” 

Eliza nodded, “Angelica voted that Alex just kill the man, but for some reason Alex showed restraint.” 

Angelica waited until the comments were finished before continuing her explanation, “To answer the question you actually asked, the Burrs are married to each other, Aaron is with Alex and Laurens, and Theo is with Eliza. The Washingtons are with us on a purely romantic level, so don’t get your hopes up for sex with the president. Eliza is just friends with Laurens, myself, and Peggy obviously. I’m not with the Burrs, Madison, the Washingtons, or my sisters. Madison is just with Alex and Eliza, and I don’t think he and Lafayette like each other that much, although that could be from sexual tension and nothing more. 

Peggy focuses on Alex and Laurens, Laurens more than Alex. Mulligan is with Alex, Eliza, Laurens, Lafayette, and myself. Lafayette is the only one who’s sexual with the president. They're also with Alex, Eliza, Laurens, Mulligan, and myself.” Angelica paused, “I think I covered everyone.”

By that time Eliza finished eating so she picked up where her sister had left off, “You’ll figure it out as you see everyone interacting with each other. However, I’m curious to know who  _ you _ want to date and who you want to just stay friends with.” 

Maria hadn’t been expecting the question, “I… don’t really know yet.” She answered, “I don’t know anyone well enough.”

Eliza drummed her fingers on the table, “Surely you must have crushes. Who are you interested in pursuing?”

Maria nodded, drawn to answering her question by the girl’s non judgemental attitude, “Well, Alex.”

Angelica paused to comment, “Obviously.”

Maria took a sip of her tea, “And you.”

Eliza’s face brightened, “Me?” She winked, “I was hoping you’d say that.” She turned to her sister, “I was just telling Angelica how, even though Alex and I decided that you would be in the family for him, I wouldn’t mind calling you my girlfriend. You’re very pretty.” 

Maria ignored the blush on her cheeks and continued, “Maybe… Laurens and Lafayette.” 

Angelica spoke up, “So with Alex, Eliza, Laurens, and Laf, and friends with everyone else.” She double checked. At Maria’s nod she smiled, “I think that’s possible. Good luck with Lafayette, they can be a real pain to win over.”

Eliza laughed slightly, “But once you do win them over they’re fiercely loyal and wonderful to have.”

By that time the women had finished their meal and Angelica left to pay with Lafayette’s card, leaving Eliza and Maria to continue speaking. Eliza covered up for the initial awkwardness by asking, “How are you always so stylish, even when dressed down?”

Maria smiled, “A lot of it is confidence. You don’t have to feel confident to look confident, and confidence is the key to sexiness. Just look at Alexander.”

Eliza laughed, “He  _ is  _ highly confident. It’s almost cocky.” 

Maria nodded, “And  _ that’s _ sexy.” She eyed Eliza before asking, “Can I be blunt with you?” At Eliza’s nod Maria commented, “It’s also wonderful to be familiar with your body. In your case, you don’t have large breasts, of course all they need to be able to do is fit in a hand, and you make up for it in  _ other _ places. It’s best to try and find clothing that works to balance all of your good spots, so perhaps to take away from your butt and add to your boobs.”

Eliza nodded thoughtfully, “So what are your thoughts about yourself?”

Maria was more than willing to share, “I’m curvy, so I try to wear clothes that shrink my waist as well as my breasts and my butt. A perfect girl attracts the worst sort of attention. If you go for a balance you might find someone like Alexander.” She paused, “Also, for you, I think a nice light blue would look wonderful on you.” 

Their conversation was stopped by Angelica, who asked, “Are you two ready to go? Alex texted me and he wants to know if Maria’s joining us for dinner.”

Eliza looked to the girl and she nodded. Eliza turned to her sister, “Tell him that she’ll be staying the night tonight, and we’ll take her back to the Burr’s tomorrow.” 

As she trailed behind the two sisters on their way out of the restaurant she couldn’t help but think how much more comfortable she felt with her situation now, and all it took was a simple lunch date. She knew that she was going to have a much better time now that she was with good people.


	53. The One with the Date

Eliza hummed the song that she had stuck in her head as she folded the laundry, dancing slightly to the music that only she could hear. Philip was with his grandfather so she didn’t need to worry too much about him tonight. Her father mentioned that he wanted to spend some time with his grandson without the other members of her  _ family _ around. She’s pretty sure the only reason he is okay with her being with all of them is because not only did she provide him a son, but he’s also quite taken with Alexander. Well, that and having the Washingtons on your side is a really useful thing. 

As she put the towel neatly where it needed to be and turned around to pick up another one she jumped slightly when she saw her husband watching her with a smirk, “Alex! Make some noise when you show up.” She chastised gently. 

His smirk turned into a smile, “But then I wouldn’t get a show!” He argued, coming forward and taking her hands in his own. He released one and bowed slightly, kissing the back of her and offering, “May I have this dance?”

Eliza laughed and curtseyed in return, thankful for her sundress for the utmost accuracy, “I would be honored.” Together they danced in the middle of piles of laundry to the sound of their own music. It started out as goofy loose dancing that somehow turned into a waltz, her head resting on his shoulder and his arms wrapped around his waist, slowly rocking back and forth. 

Alex kissed the top of her head and murmured, “I love you.”

Eliza pulled back to look at him, her dark eyes shimmering. She reached up to gently cup his cheek, “I love you.” She responded, “So much.” Tears began to form at the corner of her eyes, “I’m not even sure I can tell you how much I love you. You render me absolutely  _ helpless _ .”

Alex pulled her closer to him, kissing her firmly on the lips, “You’re never helpless.” He told her, before placing three more kisses on her mouth, one after the other until she was smiling. He pulled away to tell her, “I want to take you on a date.” He spun her around in a circle, still dancing. 

Eliza tilted her head slightly, “A date.” She repeated.

Alex nodded and slipped his hands down, gently squeezing her butt before pulling back and just holding her hands, “Pip is with grandpa, everyone is off doing their own things.” He reasoned, “Let’s go out to dinner and a movie. Take a walk in the park at night or go skinny dipping at the lake.”

“The lake is a forty mile drive away.” Eliza informed him.

He grinned, “That’s not a no.”

She laughed, “Let’s do it.” She agreed, “All of those things. Make me feel like your girlfriend again.”

He winked, “I’ll do better than that.” He promised, “I’ll make you feel like my wife, _ Misses Hamilton _ .” Even after they’ve been married for a little over a year and they have a son together he’s still tickled that he gets to call her Misses Hamilton. Eliza finds it rather adorable.

He grabbed the keys to the car from the table and guided her out of the house, and she watched with fondness as he stumbled down the stairs despite holding on to her. She promised herself that one day she’ll confront him about that. Not today though. 

The first thing on their to do list was to go see a movie. Eliza wanted a cheesy rom com so Alex took her to see  _ Deadpool _ . She couldn’t decide if the movie scared her or if she liked it (she found it funny).  What she did know was that Frances was not allowed to see it until she’s thirty. 

As they were leaving the theatre, holding hands like smitten teenagers, Alex complained, “I still don’t understand how that movie could scare you.”

Eliza pouted, “It’s not my fault.” She mumbled before perking up, “I did find it funny.”

Alex nodded as he held the car door open for her, “Well at least you have a good sense of humor.” 

She mused, “That might just be because I spend too much time with John.” That movie felt like one that he would enjoy. 

He laughed, “Probably. Although you still looked away during that sex montage.” He held the door open for her to get in the car.

She blushed and sputtered, “Because that scene was completely unnecessary.” Alex grinned as he walked around and got into the driver’s side.

He started the car and began backing out of the spot as he responded, “It was completely necessary. That reminds me, I should have proposed like he did…” He mused.

Eliza was not as amused, “I would have said no.” She insisted stubbornly.

Alex glanced at her, not at all buying it, “Really?” 

She tried to maintain a tough facade but it broke as they left the parking lot, “No. I would have said yes. I love you, you dork.” 

He squeezed her hand gently in response and told her, “Babe, that’s gay.” Before his eyes lost their joking tone. 

She noticed when he turned down a path that was different than the one to the park. In response to her questioning gaze he told her, “I’m not going to tell you everything tonight, because I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I want to tell you a little bit about my past.” Eliza felt growing anticipation when he parked in an empty parking lot, turned off the car and got out. When she did the same he locked it and tossed the keys to her, knowing that if he held on to them he would lose them. 

He took her to a cobblestone path line with trees that looked like it came straight from a fantasy movie and, taking her hand gently, he wordlessly guided her to a fountain surrounded by trees. Alex sat down on the fountain’s ledge and Eliza followed suit.

Alex broke the silence to say, “When I first moved to America, before I had any friends, I would often come here to think or study. It’s just serene enough to give me peace of mind.” He huffed out a sigh before explaining, “I always liked the way this fountain felt. It smells kind of like a saltwater fountain, which reminds me of where I grew up. The pleasant memories not the painful ones.”

Eliza frowned at him, her dark eyes shining with worry, “Painful memories?” It hurt her to think that he was ever in pain.

He smiled gently, “My love, it’s in the past now. Maybe one day I’ll tell you about that, but for now I’ll tell you something else.” He turned his attention to the surrounding forest as he thought about what to tell her, before getting an idea, “I’ll tell you about a friend I had when I was young. I left him when I came to America, and since then I’ve only seen him once.” 

“Alright.” Eliza agreed, bringing her feet up to rest on the fountain’s ledge and giving him her full attention.

“Alright.” He repeated, turning his gaze to her, “Well, I had this friend named Edward Stevens. He was like my partner in crime. In fact, we would often prank people by tricking them into thinking that we’re brothers.” He laughed to himself, “People actually started telling others that we’re brothers, and the rumors helped sell the bit.” 

Eliza laughed with him before getting an idea. When it seemed like he wasn’t paying attention, lost in his memories of his childhood, she pushed him. His eyes grew wide and he reached out, accidentally pulling her in with him when he fell into the fountain, which happened to be deeper than it looked. 

Both sopping wet and standing in about three to four feet of water, the couple looked at each other and laughed. Eliza winked, “Is this what you had in mind by skinny dipping?”

Alex laughed again, “Eliza, my love, light of my life, we have to be naked for that.” He reminded. 

Eliza frowned and splashed him, “Yes, but what if people see?” 

Alex splashed back and mimicked her frown, “Who’s around to see? Also, there are  _ worse _ things to look at than you without any clothes on.” 

“Are you trying to talk me into taking off my clothes?” Eliza looked scandalized, “Alexander, I am a  _ lady _ .” 

“And yet….”

“...Fine.” And so she began to strip off her wet clothing. She stopped at her undergarment, “But I’m not taking  _ everything _ off.” 

Alex  shrugged, “Good enough for me.” He copied her and then moved to pull her flush against him, “Any state of undress works.” 

Eliza rolled her eyes, “No sex in the fountain.”

Alex pouted, “I’ve never had sex in a fountain before…” His eyes were alight with laughter, not at all serious about wanting to.

“And you’re not going to.” What Eliza didn’t say was that she would probably agree to it if he showed any sign of  _ wanting _ it. 

He back away from her and splashed her again, “Fine. While we’re here we can play a game.” 

The two of them stayed in the fountain until three to four feet of water stopped being fun, and that’s when they took the twenty minute drive home. As they were pulling into the driveway Alex mumbled, “You know, I’m glad I left my phone in the car when we went to the fountain. It would have become ruined otherwise.”

Eliza went to respond but was stopped when they got out of the car and were greeted by Lafayette. He took one look at their wet appearance and rolled his eyes, “I leave for one evening and you two go off and have fountain sex without me.”

Eliza gaped, “How did you know…?”

Lafayette laughed, “You just told me.”

Walking around the side of the car to stand next to Eliza, Alex remarked, “I still don’t know how you do that.” 

Unconcerned about that Eliza inputted, “And we didn’t actually have sex.”

Lafayette waved off the comment, “What you do in private, or public in this case, doesn’t concern me. Actually, I wanted to tell you something.” 

Alex looked interested, “What’s so important that we’re having this conversation out here?” 

Instead of answering, Lafayette asked his own question, “How’s your debt plan?” 

Alex still had no idea what Lafayette was talking about, “Ready to be debated whenever everyone’s together.” 

Lafayette rolled his eyes, “You’re a genius but sometimes you just cannot get a clue.” He took out his phone and showed Alex a message. Upon reading it Alex’s face lit up and he raced into the house, shouting for Angelica. 

Eliza frowned, “What…?” 

Lafayette then let Eliza read the message. It was sent to both Lafayette and James Madison. It read, “ _ Guess who just got home. Anyone up for drinks?”  _

Eliza’s next question was, “Who…?” Before she understood. Thomas Jefferson came home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a cute Hamliza chapter for you, plus that little bit at the end.  
> Oh and to clear the air, and this shouldn't need to be said but people get upset about this type of thing anyway, but when Alex and Eliza are joking with one another and one of them mentions the other being or acting 'gay' they aren't using it as a derogatory term.  
> To them and me, it's never been a bad thing and should never be used to mean a bad thing.  
> You may notice that when one of them uses that word to describe their love they are clearly joking, like Eliza will roll her eyes or Alex will be trying not to laugh.


	54. The One With the Girl Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so we end the Maria story as we edge into the Jefferson one.

Eliza sat on the bed and placed her head in her hands, having just made the hardest decision she’s ever had to make. She didn’t regret it, per say, but she needed to talk to Alexander immediately. Against her will, several tears began to stream down her face. She knew it was silly, that she shouldn’t cry over something as trivial as this, but she could help it. She quickly turned around and shoved her face in her pillow in an attempt to muffled her sobs. She desperately wished her husband were here instead of at the White House debating his financial plan. 

She heard a soft knock on the door and desperately wiped her eyes and cheeks in an attempt to remove the evidence before calling for the person to come in. She wasn’t surprised to see Maria poke her head in, after all she did sleep over last night having done Frances’ makeup for her date and then staying to hear about how it went when Frances got home, “Eliza?” Her voice was laced with concern, “Are you alright, my love?” 

The woman had taken to calling specific members of the family certain nicknames. Eliza was ‘my love’, Alex was ‘my sweet’, John was ‘dearest’, and Frances was ‘beautiful’. That was as far as she got with it. Eliza found the terms of endearment precious. 

She cleared her throat and lied, “I’m fine. I just had to do something that was pretty difficult.” 

Maria sat on the edge of the bed and began playing with her fingers, “You can tell me, if you want. I’ll listen to anything you have to say.” She meant it too. The two women were quickly becoming close. 

Eliza weighed her options and shook her head, “It’s nothing. I-”

Maria cut her off, “Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton.” Eliza’s eyes widened at the hard tone of her voice combined with the usage of the woman’s full name, “As someone used to crying when no one is around, I’ve become pretty perceptive to this type of thing. It’s not fine or alright if it’s enough to make you cry.” Her voice softened and took on a pleading tone, “I won’t feel better until you’re no longer sad.  _ Please  _ talk to me about it.” 

Eliza sighed and gave in, moving to lay her head in Maria’s lap, “Alright, well for several years I’ve been dating this girl. She knows that I’m polyamorous, I have three children-”

“Three?”

“Philip, Frances, and Alex.” Eliza held up a finger for each one. Maria nodded and motioned for her to continue, “Well, she hasn’t raised a fuss about any of it until this morning. I went out on a date with her to the cafe across town and she looks me in the eye and tells me ‘I want you to choose.’”

Maria furrowed her brow in confusion, “Choose between what?”

Eliza nodded in agreement, “I didn’t know either, so I asked her ‘okay, what are my options?’ and she tells me,” Eliza paused and swallowed, “She told me ‘I want you to choose between me and Alexander. You’ve known me for longer than him and I want to marry you.’” 

Maria slowly brought her hand up to her mouth, “So…” She could barely sum up what this implied.

Luckily Eliza understood, “So she not only wanted to join our family but she also wanted Alex out of it.” 

Maria blinked, “But why? What’s wrong with Alexander?” 

Eliza sighed, “Susan, the girl I was with, is a media reporter for all things politics. Alex has a lot of rumors spreading around him like ‘he doesn’t really love his family’ or ‘he only cares about himself’ or even _ better _ ‘he’s cheating on his wife and never really loved her’. That last one is the most popular rumor it seems.”

“Who could he be cheating on you with? You know everyone who he’s seeing, right?” 

Eliza nodded again, “That’s the thing. To make a polyamorous relationship this large work we need to have a lot of communication and a lot of trust. Before Alex even considers going out with John and Lafayette he calls me and lets me know and I’ll either tell him to mingle or I’ll tell him to stay with our boys. He listens to me.” Eliza paused before adding, “The same thing works vice-versa. If I want to go out with my sisters Alex will either tell me to have fun or stay faithful. That’s our code words for what we’re willing to put up with.”

“How often does he tell you to stay faithful?” Maria wondered. 

Eliza held up a finger, “In all of our time together he’s only told me one time, and that was because I had just found out I was pregnant and we were also technically newlyweds. I’ve put more restrictions on him than he has with me.” She lowered the finger, “I don’t mean to but I don’t like the thought of Alex out with just anyone, you know? It has to be with people I know and trust. Alex always,  _ always _ , respects my decision.”

That statement made Maria wonder, “Is it hard to allow newcomers into the family? I’ve never heard of anyone trying and failing to join…” 

Eliza gave a short laugh, “That’s because we don’t talk to those people. I’ll use you as an example. There are several steps to joining our family, and you’ve passed two of them.”

Maria blinked in surprise, “So I could still be kicked out?”

“To put it bluntly… yes.” Eliza confirmed, “But it’s a little more complicated than that. We had a girl try to join our family that absolutely thrived on drama. Nothing ruins a relationship like our faster than drama. As soon as she brought up how John technically cheated on Alex for like twelve years we knew that she couldn’t stay and we asked her to leave.” She explained, “There’s also the issue of..er.. sexual chemistry.” Eliza squirmed uncomfortably, “For example, none of us are especially into bdsm, I mean Alex is always willing to try everything as long as it’s with someone he trusts and John has actually done some of that, but there’s an instance of when it’s taken too far. We had a man call me his ‘pet’.”

Maria gasped, “His pet?” It sounded so unlike Eliza and degrading. Maria knew from experience that some women like that type of thing, but Eliza…

Eliza nodded, “He also called himself my ‘master’.”

“How long ago was this?” 

Eliza bit her lip thoughtfully, “It was… several months ago. I was still pregnant with Philip at the time, although very heavily so.”

“So how did the others react?”

“Alex punched him.” Eliza so simply, “Very hard. In the nose.” 

Maria couldn’t hold back her laughter at the mental image, and after a second Eliza joined her, “Sometimes I forget how much I love your husband.” Maria told her.

Eliza couldn’t help but agree, “He’s very fighty, isn’t he?”

As the laughter subsided Maria prodded, “So what did you tell Susan?”

Eliza folded her hands neatly in her lap and returned to telling her story, “I told her that I love Alex more than anyone else and my answer will always be him.” 

Maria cooed sympathetically and pulled Eliza towards her in an embrace, with Eliza’s face pressed into her breasts, “My love, I’m sorry you had to do that.”

Eliza’s arms snaked their way around Maria and she held on tightly, “It’s alright.” Eliza told her, “I don’t need Susan anymore, not when I have you.”

It took a moment to sink in and this time when Maria gasped it was from joy, “Does that mean I’m with both you and Alex romantically?” 

Eliza hummed in confirmation, “I feel like you’ve earned it.” She joked. 

When Eliza pulled away and looked into the other girl’s eyes she was pleased to see them twinkling in delight. She was even more pleased when Maria offered, “So, as is customary for big break-ups, we need to go get ice-cream.”

Eliza laughed, “Ice-cream sounds wonderful.”

“And Netflix.” Maria added as she stood up.

Before Eliza could respond Maria continued, “And chill.”

Eliza giggled, “Let’s take it one step at a time.” 

But she did wonder what it would be like to sleep with Maria. That question would just have to be answered another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience with me getting this chapter out! I couldn't quite figure out how to tell this part of the story and get my point across at the same time.  
> We've seen plenty of Alex and Thomas arguing over the financial plan, so instead of showing you that, they're just going to argue over everything else.  
> If you want MarLiza smut then I'm sure I can fit it into the story later on.  
> Also, to everyone who's just now joining us on this strange story that's actually better than you thought it would be, Welcome and thanks for reading!


	55. The One With The Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A requested chapter that I also thought was a good idea

Alex tapped his foot on the ground, barely able to contain his excitement. He had just put his bags down in the guest room that Washington always left to him and now all he had to do was wait for Jefferson to arrive. He was able to spot the Secretary of State almost immediately by how he dressed. 

Madison was with Jefferson and brought the other man to introduce him to Alex. The two stared at each other for a moment, neither one able to think of anything to say. 

Eventually Alex said, “That suit is tacky.”

Jefferson’s eyes narrowed, “Fuck you.” 

“You wish.” 

Jefferson let his gaze rake over Alex’s body before the corner of his mouth twisted up in a smirk, “I don’t think so.” Before he walked in the direction of George’s office. Madison offered Alex an apologetic smile before following after his lover. 

Hamilton stared after Jefferson and, for the first time in his life, he was rendered speechless.

* * *

 

Alex slammed the door to the meeting room on his way out, his mind racing and his insides fuming. He spent months coming up with that plan, only to have it thrown away by someone who _ didn’t even read it _ . 

He spent the following hour pacing in the tea room while muttering to himself. Martha had been here but eventually she grew sick of Alex’s complaining and left. He wished Eliza were here. She’d listen to  _ all _ of his bitching. 

A soft knock came from the direction of the door, and Alex turned to snap at whoever was there when he saw Jefferson leaning against the doorframe with an annoyed expression, “Can you stop talking? Your voice is a major drag for people actually working.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, “You can’t even hear me from your room.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t  _ feel _ your voice.”

“You can’t  _ feel _ my voice!”

“Thank god for that.” And Jefferson left. Alex stared after him with disbelief, wondering what the hell just happened. Ironically, he stopped muttering to himself and decided to go on a walk around the property instead, so Jefferson got his way. 

* * *

 

Madison knocked on Alex’s door, causing Alex to look up from where he was working. He had been attempting to revise it, but any new changes would completely defeat the purpose of this financial plan. He wanted to save the nation’s economy not make it worse.

Alex stared at Madison, wanting to know what he wanted but not willing to speak. He was still holding a grudge against what happened earlier that day, so to punish them he was refusing to speak at all. It was beginning to get on the nerves of everyone except for Adams and Jefferson. 

“You up for a movie?” He was offered. Alex looked down at how much he still had left to do, but decided that he would figure it out later and stood up. He wordlessly followed Madison to the lounge room where the other members of the cabinet were already waiting, plus Lafayette. Alex was slightly surprised to see the Frenchman there, but also upset to see him flirting with Jefferson. 

As soon as Lafayette noticed Alex, he crossed his arms and said, “I hear you’re being immature.” 

Alex frowned and purposefully turned away from his boyfriend, not willing to speak even if it’s to argue. Until…

Madison gave them two options: one of them was a documentary about hurricanes in the Caribbean islands, the other was Star Wars. 

Alex decided to speak, deeming it necessary that they not watch anything that would remind him of home, “We can’t watch the documentary.”

Jefferson turned to face him, “I was looking forward to that one.” 

Alex scowled, “Do you argue with me just for the sake of arguing with me.”

Thomas smirked, “Yes. You make it so easy.”

“Don’t you have anything better to do than constantly get on my nerves?” He snapped. 

Thomas considered the question for a moment before shaking his head, “Not really. You make it fun.” 

“I’m glad I can be of service.” Hamilton told him, sarcasm dripping from his words, before pointing that the screen, “But we really can’t watch the documentary.” 

Jefferson eyed him carefully, “Why?” 

Alex sputtered, “It’s just- we can’t.” His face suddenly feeling hot. 

Adams decided to speak up, “I think we should. Anything that would upset Hamilton would be best.” Alex’s mouth dropped open, unable to believe what he was hearing. He stood up and prepared to leave, not really feeling up to getting triggered today.

Before he left the room, Jefferson spoke up, “I agree with Hamilton. I actually don’t feel like watching a documentary.” 

Alex turned to face him, feeling speechless for another reason. He silently and gratefully sat back down on the couch, his mind racing as to why Jefferson would stick up for him. 

* * *

 

Alex tapped his pen on the table, listening while Washington was saying something about France and England, not really paying too much attention because he already knew all of it. He jumped when he felt someone kick his leg.

Looking across the table, Alex frowned when he saw Jefferson mouth, “Stop that.” And he nodded at the pen.

Alex narrowed his eyes and proceeded to tap the pen both faster and harder, resulting in another kick, this one also faster and harder. Alex yelped which got the attention from Washington and the other members of the cabinet. 

“Son-”

“Don’t call me son.”

Washington ignored him, “Will you please be quiet.”

“Jefferson kicked me!” Alex exclaimed like a child.

“Did not!”

“Did so!” 

Washington sighed and sat down, watching how the childlike argument turned into a debate about what constitutes as ‘kicking’ and what did not. They never finished the meeting because soon enough Alex and Thomas were bickering about pens and why Alex had to be such a child all the time. 

* * *

 

Lafayette watched Alex leave, almost wishing that he was with him and also heading home to their wonderful family. Unfortunately, he still had things to finish up here. 

He made his way to George’s office when a conversation caught his attention. Or rather, it was more like John Adams talking to several other prominent members of the government. He was saying something rude about Alex, and as soon as he brought up illegitimacy he was suddenly silenced… by Jefferson.

Jefferson wasted no time standing up for Hamilton, and easily argued with John Adams until the other man left the room in a huff. Lafayette entered the room almost immediately after, “Don’t you dislike Alexander?” 

Thomas stared at him for a moment before shrugging, “I can’t stand him.” 

“And yet-”

He was cut off, “But only  _ I _ get to be the one who puts him down.” 

Lafayette offered a small smile in understanding before leaving the room, ready to finish filling out the paperwork so he could be made into the official French Ambassador so he could go home and tell his family the news. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It turned out differently than I had in mind, but I still feel pretty good about this chapter.


	56. The One with the Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's do this.

Angelica watched with a bemused expression from her position on the couch as Alex stormed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a can of Root Beer. He opened it and cursed to himself when some of the fizz dripped down onto his hand. Not at all happy, he switched the hands that he was holding the can and licked up what he spilled. He then proceeded to sit down on the recliner with a huff.

Once he was finished being a drama queen, Angelica asked, “So how was your trip?”

Alex took a moment to passively sip at his drink before launching into his rant, “Not only could I not get my bill passed, and get this, the fucker didn’t even _read_ it, but I also had to put up with him arguing about every single decision I made throughout the entire weekend. I tried to revise the plan and maybe fix it to where he and Madison, who by the way is taking Jefferson’s side, might pass it, but there’s no way I can do that because they don’t have any ideas they’d prefer, they just hate mine.”

Angelica waited until he got that out of his system before asking, “So what are you going to do about it.”

“I don’t know.” He sounded defeated. He eyed her for a moment before putting down his drink and getting up, walking over to the couch where she was sitting and putting his head in her lap. She brushed her hand through his hair and he mumbled, “What should I do?”

“I think…” She paused, “You should take a break.”

“A break.” He repeated.

She nodded, “Let me take you out to dinner and we can just take a break from thinking about this. Tomorrow we can return to the problem and think about it with fresh minds.”

He mulled over the idea before deciding, “Sounds good!” and sat up, “Where are you taking me?”

Angelica smirked, “I’ll decide on the way, let’s take my bike.”

As she made her way to the garage, Alex called, “I’ll meet you there, I need to put on my shoes.” She left him without another word and Alex took a moment to wonder exactly _where_ he put them.

After a thorough search of the living room he gave up and went into the master bedroom to grab a different pair of shoes, where he found the ones that he had previously taken off. He stared at them for a moment before saying aloud, “What the fuck?”. Deciding to worry about that another time he quickly put them on and raced to the garage where Angelica was waiting semi patiently, scrolling through something on her phone.

She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow, “You lost your shoes, didn’t you?”

He grinned, “And then I _found_ them.” He boasted.

She gave a slight laugh, “I’m proud of you sweetie.” She told him before tossing him a helmet and getting on the bike. He, more than happy to let her drive instead of him, got on behind her and held on tight.

She muttered, “At least you didn’t grab my breasts like Lafayette did the first time they rode with me.” Just loud enough for him to hear before revving the engine and tearing off down the road.

He laughed in her ear and called, “I heard about that. He’s still in one piece so apparently you didn’t mind all too much.” If she responded to that, he didn’t hear her.

They stopped at the first mall they saw, and upon parking the bike Angelica turned to him and explained, “There are a couple of things I need to pick up.” Alex didn’t press on the issue and followed her around like a puppy.

She first went into the bookstore where she purchased three different novels of varying genres. Afterwards she went to a shoe store but didn’t buy anything. Alex sort of stopped paying attention after that, instead preferring to admire her as she went about her day. Until the final store, she went in and ordered him to stay put outside.

So he awkwardly looked at his phone and leaned against the wall until his girlfriend was finished. Fortunately, or not, he wasn’t alone long, “Hamilton!”

He looked up at the sound of Madison’s, hopeful for some sort of intelligent conversion. He lost all hope when he saw Jefferson with him. The other man didn’t look happy to see Hamilton either. Alex sighed and put his phone in his pocket, “What are you guys doing here?” He even sounded tired to his own ears.

Madison ignored his tone of voice, “I had to pick something up for my niece, and Thomas tagged along. Why are you here?”

Alex glances at Jefferson once before turning away from him completely and just focusing on his boyfriend, “Angelica came here to do… something.” He looked at Jefferson and scowled, “Do you take that cane everywhere?”

“Yes.” Jefferson answered simply.

“...Isn’t it a little excessive?” Hamilton considered the man for a moment. He was wearing jeans and a nice t-shirt, nothing too fancy. The only thing that screaming “rich” was the cane. Which he brought to the _mall_.

Before Jefferson could answer him, Angelica exited the store dragging some poor man by the ear. She sat him down in the nearest chair, one of the massage chairs that are put on display that Hamilton wasn’t sure anyone actually buys, “Shut up for a second.” She told them, “We need to teach this man a lesson.”

Always up for fighting someone, Alex asked, “What sort of lesson?”

As if able to read his mind Angelica respond, “Not that sort of lesson. We need to teach him about consent.”

“Consent.” Alex repeated.

Angelica nodded and turned to him, finally looking him in the eye, “Alex, if you wanted to have sex with me-”

“Which I do.”

She ignored his interruption, “And I told you ‘no’, what would you do?”

“Probably find Laurens instead.”

She shook her head, “Pretend you’re not polyamorous and you’re just with me.”

Alex took a moment to consider it, “Well, I’d just not have sex with you.” He felt the answer was obvious but he didn’t know if she wanted more detail.

She seemed fine with just that and nodded, satisfied, “Alright, what if I told you yes but changed my mind halfway through it.”

“I would stop and probably order a pizza.” Alex told her. Behind him, Jefferson snickered.

“A pepperoni pizza.” He added.

Alex agreed, “Fuck yeah. I’d go all out supreme, fuck I’d even put bacon on that shit.” He was now fantasizing about pizza and hoped Angelica would let him buy some. He and Jefferson took a moment to high five before Angelica continued with her questions.

“What if I told you yes, but then I fell asleep.”

“I would stop and probably go to sleep as well.”

“And if I said yes the night before?”

Alex felt he needed a little more clarification, “Did we do anything the night before?”

She frowned at him, “Does it matter?”

He shrugged, “Not really. I might ask if you wanted to continue or begin or something the following day.”

Angelica looked at the guy she dragged out of the store, “I don’t think this poor idiot understands. Let me try this another way.” She turned back to her boyfriend, “Tea.”

“No thanks, I’m not thirsty.” He answered cheekily.

She slapped him lightly on the arm, “No, not what I meant. If you asked me if I wanted tea, and I said yes, what would you do?”

“I’d give you tea.” He felt it would be weird if he didn’t.

She nodded, “Okay, and what if I told you maybe.”

“I’d probably make you the tea, but it would be up to you if you wanted to drink it.” He laughed to himself, “I wouldn’t, like, force the tea down your throat.”

“If I was unconscious, would you force me to drink tea while asleep?”

Even the random dude laughed at that thought. Alex snorted, “No.”

She turned to the man, “Consent for sex, is the exact same thing as consent for tea. If it’s not a clear and concise yes, don’t do it. If Hamilton is smart enough to understand this, so are you.”

“Hey!” He protested.

Angelica looked at him, “Please, you may be a genius, but you haven’t yet figured out that Thomas Jefferson is blind. I’m pretty sure you could google him and figure it out.”

Alex blinked at her, in complete shock, before turning to look at Jefferson. He shrugged, “She has a point.”

To the man Angelica said, “And if I ever see you harassing that young boy, or any other boys, ever again, I won’t stop Alex from fighting you. He might be a nerd but he’s army.” Terrified, the man left in a hurry. Probably leaving the store. With eyes narrowed, Angelica watched until he was out of sight.

When it was all over, Alex said, “Wait, Jefferson is blind!?”

Angelica sighed and put her arm around his waist, guiding him out of the store, “Come on sweetheart, let’s go get you your pizza.” She nodded at the two Virginians, “See you later.”

“Good bye.” Madison nodded politely, and Jefferson offered a small wave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jefferson is blind fight me.  
> Actually, this came about because I was talking with my Beta to figure out some ways for me to get more invested in this story, and we discovered that all I need was to represent more groups of people, as accurately as possible, without romanticizing anything. So coming up, along with blindness, you'll get a character with PTSD, self-harm scars (no active self harm), a learning disability, and bipolar depression. All in different characters, not just one.  
> Have fun!


	57. The One where Peggy Confides in Alex

Margaret “Peggy” Schuyler sat down on the couch with a huff, staring at the blank television screen with a blankness to her gaze, as though she were watching some mindless show. She didn’t move to pick up the remote and turn it on, simply stared at it. She remained that way until John Laurens, whistling a tune that sounded eerily similar to the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, strolled into the room and noticed her there.

He looked at the tv and then back to her. After several moments of her not noticing him he spoke up, “Did you want me to turn that on or…?” 

She spoke softly, “I think I’m going to cry.” As she spoke she moved her gaze to him, and he was alarmed to see tears almost forming in her deep gaze. 

He was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against him, “Shh, don’t cry.” He held her gently yet tightly at the same time, and her arms snaked around to hold him back. She buried her face in his chest and he leaned back so that he was nearly laying down and she was almost on top of him, “Tell me what’s on your mind.” He invited. 

She didn’t say anything for a minute, “I’m so… stressed.” She eventually told him.

“What are you stressed about?” He inquired gently.

She shrugged, as much as she was able to in her current position, “I don’t even know. All I know is that I’m stressing out and there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t know if it’s my job or if it’s something else that I should be doing but am not.” 

Laurens opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Alex coming out of his office and rushing through the living room and into the kitchen. He stopped himself and then turned around, frowning at the two of them, “Are you okay?”

The two of them returned his gaze but neither said anything. Alex muttered, “I’m taking that as a ‘no’.” And he moved to kneel in front of the couch, gently cupping her face, “What can I do to help?”

She gave a sloppy shrug once more, “I have no idea.” Her voice broke and she swallowed to keep herself from crying, “Alex, what do you do when you’re stressed and you don’t know why you’re stressing out?”

He looked between her and his boyfriend before pushing himself off the ground. Silently, he held a hand out to her as an invitation. She slowly reached up to take it and he pulled her up. To Laurens he said, “I’m taking her to the bedroom.” Before doing exactly that.

Once they were in the bedroom he guided her onto the bed and gently laid down with her in his arms. He stroked her hair silently and evened out his breathing to be as comforting as possible as she made a vain attempt to sort through her thoughts. She was the one who broke the silence, “What should I do?”

He didn’t answer for a moment, and when he did it was to say, “What if we got you a planner so you could write down a list of the day’s activities?” She opened her mouth to say that to-do lists don’t really help but he cut her off, “I know to-do lists are kind of dumb, but listen. Instead of writing down every single thing you have to do, write out a seventh of it, something that won’t take all day. Afterwards, write something for you to do that you actually enjoy. For example,” He winked, “Why don’t you and Lafayette go shopping tomorrow after you finish drafting your book.” 

Peggy looked surprised, “How did you know about that?” 

He shrugged, “I pay attention to my family. I know that you’re trying to become an author and that’s only one of the things you’re stressing about. Tomorrow isn’t a day you’re scheduled to work, so draft out the plot of your novel idea and then take Lafayette shopping. You know they’ll buy you anything you want.” 

She nodded slowly, “Okay, but what about the day after tomorrow?” 

He went to respond but stopped himself, “Here, come with me to my office.” In the hall they passed by Mulligan and Burr, two people Hamilton didn’t expect to find together but he didn’t have time to worry about that. 

What he did do was pause and address the quieter man, “Hey, you and I are going out tomorrow.” 

Burr blinked slowly before shrugging, “Okay.” 

Alex nodded, momentarily satisfied, before pulling the girl into his office. She took one step in before stopping, “Why is there a couch?” She pointed at it and turned to look at her boyfriend, who hadn’t noticed her surprise at first and was rummaging around on his desk.

He answered her without turning around, “Laurens likes to hang out with me while I work. I got tired of him sitting on my floor so I bought a couch and put it here so he’d have somewhere to sit.” He pulled out a baby blue thing that looked like a notebook from where Peggy was standing, “Ah, here it is!” He declared happily.

He quickly moved to sit on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Pulling out a sharpie he wrote her name on the front cover in his beautiful handwriting. He flipped through a couple of pages and stopped on what looked like a calendar, “This is going to be your planner! I bought it for myself but I don’t ever use it.” He flipped a couple more pages and handed it to her, “Here, you’re way more organized than I am anyway.”

She nodded and took it, not writing anything at first, “So should I just… write down everything that I have to do?” She turned her dark gaze up to him and he smiled, brushing a strand of hair away from her pretty face. Without waiting for a verbal response she wrote down what they decided for tomorrow, before moving on to the following day. Together they planned out her entire week.

When all was done she grabbed him and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest, “Thank you Alex. I don’t feel one-hundred percent yet, but I feel alot better.” 

He smiled softly and returned the hug, “Of course. Don’t be afraid to come to me when you need help.” He glanced at the clock on the wall, “Now, if we’re finished I need to go. I need to go introduce Philip to Jefferson to show my son what an asshat is supposed to look like.” He shrugged, “It’s an important learning experience for him.” 

She laughed and got off of him, “Well, while you do that, I’m going to go see if Laurens wants to play video games with me.” She opened the door and turned back to look at him, “Maybe I can finally beat him.”

He laughed, “Good luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peggy confides in me Angelica tried to take a bite of me


	58. The One with the Halloween Party

Alex woke up to a very noisy house, which wasn’t usually normal. He blinked open his eyes and turned his head to see that not only was he alone in bed, also not normal, but also that it was eight in the morning. He stared at the time until it turned into eight o’ three and cursed silently before attempting to roll out of bed… and failing. Instead of rolling out and landing on his feet like one might see in the movies, Alex was sort of tangled up in all of the blankets. He landed on the floor with a thump.

The next thing he heard was the door being thrown open and his wife’s worried voice as she rushed in to kneel beside him, “My love, are you alright?” She sounded way too worried for him just falling out of the bed.

He looked up and was about to answer him when she gave him just a short peck on the lips and whispered, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” He told her, giving her a little dimpled smile, “But I have a question too.” She nodded and tilted her head, her hair falling like a curtain and blocking the door from his sight. That didn’t matter, he already saw what he needed to, “Why is everyone awake and in the living room?”

She squirmed a bit uncomfortably and glanced behind her, “Well, this isn’t really something you should hear from me.”

Footsteps and then her sister’s voice, “Eliza, I’ll go ahead and tell him.” The younger one kissed him once more on the nose before leaving the room. Angelica raised an eyebrow at the sight of him on the floor, but didn’t question it, “Two things, the first is that it’s Halloween.”

He nodded, “I’m aware. I wasn’t aware that we were actually doing anything for it.”

Angelica smirked, “I was against it too, but Laf wanted to experience Halloween for the first time since he’s been back in America, and Frances wanted to experience it for the first time with a loving family.”

Alex sighed and began to straighten himself up, “Okay, so what’s the plan?”

Angelica already had an answer, “Eliza has a costume for Philip, he’s going to be a dragon, and she and Maria are taking the children trick or treating. Afterwards, she’s dropping them off at our father’s house so they can spoil them with candy and whatever it is grandparents do. While the children are away we’re having a party of just our family members here at the house.” Alex opened his mouth to ask, but Angelica already answered his question, “And yes, we _do_ need to wear costumes.”

He nodded and began to put on his pants, having untangled himself during her explanation, “Alright, happy Halloween.” He shot her a wink before frowning, “What was the other thing?”

Angelica opened her mouth, closed it, and then sighed before smiling her usual smile, “I’ll tell you after the party.” She left, but before she did he noticed her smile disappear.

In the doorway Eliza reappeared, took one look at the worry lines on his forehead and sighed, “My love, it’s nothing for you to worry about. You’re the only one who doesn’t know, and does anyone sound upset?”

“Then why did she stop smiling?” He was always worried when the people he loved didn’t smile.

Eliza glanced behind her, “We’re all just wondered… how you’re going to respond is all.”

“She’s worried about my response.” He repeated, “Wha- how- but-

Eliza stepped into the room and put a finger on his lips, cutting him off, “We know you love us very much, but this is… something else. You’ll see tonight. Now, I want couples costumes.”

With that she pulled him into the living room where everyone else who already lived here was already camped out. He was greeted with a chorus of good mornings, some teasing some genuine, and gave everyone the same tired smile and “Morning guys.”

He sat down on the floor next to Laurens and Peggy as Angelica stood in front of the tv so she’d have everyone’s attention, “I did not tell Alex,” She started saying, and as people began to protest she cut them all off with a “But I will today. Now, Eliza wants a couple’s costume.”

Alex pursed his lips and looked at his wife, “My dear.” He began. She smiled at him innocently, “There are thirteen of us, give or take. A couple, is two.” He spoke slowly, as if talking to a child.

Angelica frowned at him, “John smack your boyfriend for me.” Alex received a punch in the arm and he laughed.

Eliza giggled as well, “I know that. I just want there to be some sort of… theme.”

“Dead Disney characters.” Peggy suggested, “It’s festive and anyone can be anyone.”

“Can I be Bambi’s mom?” Alex tried, his voice staying completely normal as though he didn’t say what he just said. He met with smacks from all sides as his idea was immediately shot down and he was called a bad person.

Angelica was unphased, “Yes, we can go as dead Disney, no Alex cannot choose his own costume.”

The Family cheered and the question was instantly raised, “Does Star Wars count?”

“Classic Disney.” Angelica told Theo, who had asked, “I don’t want this to be a Star Wars themed party and I know it would be if I let you dress up as zombie Princess Leia.”

The Family booed but Angelica had already moved on, “Of course, we can be Disney couples but the minute someone tries to go as Kristoff and Sven there will be no more Disney couples.”

“So you want Disney canon couples.” Lafayette checked.

Mulligan groaned, “Dude Kristoff and Sven can be together if they want to be together.”

Burr gave a short laugh, “This is coming from the man who had that horse experience in college.”

Eliza looked at her boyfriend, “That… horse… experience?”

Burr nodded, “I didn’t go to College with him, because Alex and I both went to Kings, but I did stay and listen to the entire story.”

Frances was quick to ask, “How did it end?”

Alex shrugs, “The dude bangs horses.”

“Alex!” Eliza cried.

He laughed, “Okay, I’ll shut up.”

Angelica waited until that exchange was finished before asking, “Does anyone have any questions?”

Alex raised his hand and Angelica frowned, “Didn’t you say that you’d shut up?”

He nodded and grinned, “Yes, but this is an actual question and also I never shut up it’s one of my many charms.”

“What is your question?”

“Can someone else pick out my costume for me? I have to go figure out how to compromise with Jefferson and Madison.” He sighed, “No rest for the statesmen.”

Eliza nodded, “Of course, you and I will be a couple.”

He gave a thumbs up and stood up, “Cool. See ya tonight.” With a quick wave he disappeared to his office. Once his office door closed the conversation died down and he was alone with just his thoughts.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite able to focus on his work, he was too busy trying to come up with what Angelica could be hiding. He was also wondering if maybe fourteen was a good number, before deciding that he was too tired to be making big family decisions in his office and fell asleep.

He woke up to the sound of loud music and looked at the time on his computer. He cursed and turned around, coming face to face with his wife who was sitting on the couch, watching him with a small smile. She told him, “That was the longest you’ve slept in a very long time. Come, let’s see if we can get you to eat. First, put this on.” She handed him a costume and explained, “Mulligan went all out today and made everyone what they wanted. I think he’s the best in the country.”

Alex scoffed, “He’s the best in the world. What are we?”

“Jack and Sally.” She grinned, “I thought it would be cute. Philip and Frances are still here because Father is ill, so Philip is Zero. It’s cute.”

He laughed and kissed her on the cheek, “You’re cute.” He told her and began to put on his costume. When he was dressed Maria sashayed in, all beautiful and whatnot, and sat him down in his chair before proceeding to put on his makeup for him. They were done in thirty minutes and Maria left.

Alex looked at his wife and smirked, “She’s really hot as Esmerelda.”

She nodded, “Oh yeah.”

“Like… really hot.”

“Alex?”

“Hrm?”

“Do we need to leave you two alone tonight?”

“...maybe. We’ll see how tonight goes.” He winked her before holding out his arm and walking her out of the office.

Alex mingled around but eventually left the house and sat down on the steps of his porch. The crisp fall air slapped his face but he didn’t mind. He wasn’t sure if his favorite costume was Lafayette as Mulan or Angelica, who was dressed as Emily from Corpse Bride. He wasn’t sure that counted as Disney but understood that the general theme didn’t mean it had to be strictly Disney. Of course, Frances dressed as Ursula so that was great as well. In the end he decided that Peggy as Maleficent was probably the best, and determined that both Maria and Mulligan were miracle workers because everything was amazing.

A car pulled into the driveway and out stepped Madison and Jefferson, neither in costume. Madison walked past Alex and into the house and Jefferson stopped in front of Alex, “He wanted to talk to Angelica before we head to the party.”

“A different party?” Alex checked.

“Am I really invited to this one?”

Alex laughed, “Not really. It’s supposed to be family only.”

His rival smirked, “Isn’t James a member of your Family?”

Alex didn’t respond immediately, but when he did he said, “Yes, he is.” A beat of silence and then, “You know, everyone is telling me to make you a member of the Family too.”

“Is this your way of asking me out?”

Alex shook his head, “No… just a heads up I guess. I might ask you out, you know in the future.”

Jefferson didn’t say anything at first, but when he did it was to say, “I might say yes. In the future.”

Alex looked at him and then muttered, “It sucks that you’re totally my type. Aside from being a pompous asshole.”

“Your type?”

“Blind.”

“Fuck you.”

“You can’t even see me.” Both of them were laughing.

Madison walked out moments later and nodded to Alex, “See you in a couple of days.”

Alex nodded, “Yeah… actually can we postpone that?”

Both men looked at him suspiciously, “Why?”

“I think I want to take Jefferson on a date.” Both men were surprised and Alex continued cheekily, “It’s the future.”

Jefferson looked like he was trying not to laugh, “Okay sure. Take me on a date.” He turned around and began to slowly walk back to the car, calling over his shoulder, “Interesting strategy of playing politics. Let’s see if this works.”

“I’ll convince you to vote for my plan one way or the other.” Alex called and then winked at Madison, “This is what everyone wants right?”

“Didn’t you just begin to get into an argument?”

“Oh that was nothing. I look forward to see what we can fight about when we’re all living together.” Madison looked at him, a frown etched onto his face and Alex continued, “Dude, Monticello is gorgeous. I could live there forever and I haven’t even visited yet.”

Madison gave a short laugh, “Good luck Alexander. I think he really likes you.”

“I’m a catch.”

Madison didn’t reply to that and joined his boyfriend in the car. Replacing him was Angelica, who sat next to Alex on the porch.

Alex turned to look at her, “I know, I’ll go back in and enjoy the party as soon as I’m finished waking myself up.”

“Are you going to tell Eliza about your date with Jefferson?”

“The second I see her.” He told her honestly, “Are you going to tell me-”

She cut him off, “I’m pregnant.” He was rendered speechless and she continued, “I’m pregnant Alex, and I have no _idea_ who the father is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter down, still going strong!


	59. The ones with the three days without Hamilton- Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of a four chapter mini-event.

Alex stared at his computer, his open word document blank. He knew what he _should_ be thinking about. Instead he was thinking about Angelica and Eliza at the hospital while they make sure it’s healthy and whatnot. He had suggested that he be there, but Angelica turned him down. Something about being able to do things like this without a man holding her hand every step of the way.

If Alex knew Angelica, she will probably never tell anyone who the father of the child is. The father will just be all of them. Alex isn’t even sure if he’d want to pressure her on that.

A soft knock at the door interrupted his train of thought, and he turned around to see John watching him with an almost concerned look. Neither man said anything, but Hamilton watched his boyfriend come into his office and sit down on the sofa that was brought in just for him.

Alex turned his focus back to the computer and stared at it for a long moment before he confessed, “I haven’t slept with Angelica in two months.” He turned around to face his boyfriend, who was sitting there, staring at him in shock, “I’ve been busy working. The only people I’ve really had time for have been you and my wife.” He ran a hand through his hair, “My point is, as much as I wish it weren’t true, I know that I’m not the biological father of the kid.”

“Which means that if she reveals anything about the father…” John trailed off, but Alex knew where he was going with that.

“ _If_ she says anything about it, she’ll say that it’s me just to keep anyone from knowing who the real father is.” He finished. Unhappy about that conclusion, but he knew it to be true.

Still his boyfriend tried to suggest, “It could still be you. I mean we have no idea how long she’s been pregnant, and some people aren’t even showing at two months.”

Alex shook his head, “No. Eliza is pretty sure that she’s about three weeks pregnant. They’re making sure today.”

“Three weeks.” Laurens repeated.

Alex nodded, absentmindedly twiddling his thumbs, “Yeah. Could it be you?”

“Yeah.”

“Who else, do you know?”

John was silent for a moment before, “It could be anyone other than you.”

Alex sighed and stood up, “This isn’t even the most pressing thing I need to think about. The Washingtons are going to be leaving the family soon.”

“How soon?” John looked at him curiously as he walked over and sat down next to him on the sofa.

Alex laid his head in his boyfriend’s lap as he said, “I have no idea. I just got the heads up yesterday. Eliza didn’t seem too concerned about it when I told her, said something about it being for the better.”

“What about Jefferson?” Laurens made a face when he said his name, like it was a dirty word that he didn’t want Frances saying.

Alex shrugged, “I have no immediate plans. I asked him out, he said yes, but neither one of us have any time for dating. He’s trying to settle in as the Secretary of State and my girlfriend is pregnant and I don’t know who the father is.”

John began running a hand through Alex’s hair as he thought of things he could say to comfort his boyfriend. Eventually he settled on, “Well, you know that the father is someone you care about. You also know that the mother is someone you care about. Do the details matter?”

Alex sighed and closed his eyes, “No.” He responded eventually, “No they don’t. I’m just worrying for the sake of worrying.” He sat up, “So what all have you told Frances?”

John gave a small grin, “It was Angelica who told her that she’s going to have a baby sibling. Frances is all for it.”

Alex nodded, that thought comforting him a little more, “Good. I was afraid that we might be bringing in too many too fast. I feels like we just got Maria, now the new baby, and potentially Jefferson.” He turned to face his boyfriend, “Do you think we should slow down?”

John shrugged, “Do you remember how I felt at the very beginning?”

Alex laughed, “You weren’t sure that we could handle it being you, me, and Eliza.”

“I thought we should have slowed down at Angelica. Now, I’m just lucky to still be involved in this mess.”

“It does kind of feel like a mess, doesn’t it?” Alex looked around the office, a frown appearing on his face.

Laurens gave a light laugh, “Yeah. I mean, I lost count at thirteen. The Washingtons leaving makes this a little easier, and I don’t think we’re quite finished with James Reynolds either.”

Alex agreed, “There’s still a lot that needs to be done. The only thing I can do is get my debt plan passed so we can move on and I can be a little more involved in everything.” He paused, “For the next three days, I’m going to lock myself in my office. Don’t disturb me for _any reason_. I’m getting this finished so I can take it on my date… whenever that is. Maybe the weekend.” He paused again, “Probably the weekend.”

John gave his boyfriend a thumbs up, “You got it. No disturbing you for the next three days for any reason.” He grinned, “But today, Peggy tried to bake a cake and now there’s peanut butter on the ceiling so we should really go and try to fix that situation.”

Alex laughed and followed his boyfriend out of the office, temporarily cheered up from the upset that he had been in. For the next three days, he would be in his office with no disturbances. He hopes that nothing falls apart in that time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Alex for the next three days! Let's see what happens!


	60. Day One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hectic morning

Eliza leisurely sipped at her coffee as she scrolled through her twitter feed, not yet entirely awake. Philip was being gently rocked by Mulligan, who looked just as awake as Eliza felt. Angelica rummaged through the fridge as she searched for the carton of milk and John sat on top of the counter, playing some game on his phone. Eventually Mulligan said, “No Alex for the next three days?”

Angelica slammed the fridge shut, “It seems like it.” She didn’t sound or look pleased. Although, that could have more to do with the fact that she failed to find the carton of milk. She continued, “It doesn’t matter, he doesn’t really do that much anyway.” 

Eliza hummed into her cup, “Yes, I have to agree. I absolutely adore him, but we don’t need to have him around constantly.” She placed the cup on the table and stood up with a heavy sigh, “In about four days he has a ‘date’ with Jefferson. He’s going to convince him, using any method, to vote for his financial plan that he’s currently modifying to fit everyone’s needs. It’s difficult though, because Alex doesn’t really care about what Jefferson needs.”

Angelica snorted, but before she could reply to that her phone rang. She quickly answered it and put it on speaker, “Mister President.” She greeted, “You’re on speaker. What can we do for you?” Always polite when speaking to George.

He sounded a little worried, which for him was a big thing, “Is Alex in the room?”

Angelica shared a glance with those gathered at the table before responding, “No, Alex isn’t leaving his office for the next three days. He said no exceptions and whatever happens can be handled without him there.”

The president cursed under his breath before explaining, “Martha was in an accident. She was riding her horse and a fox startled it and the horse bucked her off. She’s fine except for a dislocated shoulder. The only problem is, Martha will not let anyone relocate her shoulder except for Alex, as he’s the only one who’s done it in the past. I’m worried that if he doesn’t hurry it’s going to heal wrong.”

Eliza spoke up gently, “I suppose I can try convincing him to come out, but that may just lead to him staying in there even longer. He’s very stubborn.”

George sighed, “No. I’ll just try convincing my wife to go to the hospital, or to let me do it myself.” He hung up without another word.

After a moment of silence Angelica murmured, “He’s too compassionate towards his wife, he won’t force her to do anything. She’ll probably end up waiting for the next three days in a lot of pain until Alex makes it to Mount Vernon.” 

Frances’ small voice spoke up from the doorway, “Papa Alex knows how to relocate shoulders?” 

Her father answered her, “He’s qualified to be a doctor if he wanted to. He was quite a bit of help during the war whenever any one of us got sick.” 

She nodded once, “Oh. Neat.” 

A knock on the door caused Laurens to hop off the counter and go towards the living room. While he was gone Francis turned towards Angelica, “So… are you excited? For the baby, I mean.”

Angelica thought about it before nodding, “I suppose I’m both excited and a little nervous. I’m sure that our family is ready to handle another baby.” 

Eliza smiled warmly at her sister, “I’m sure Philip will enjoy having a sibling close to his age.” 

Mulligan mumbled in agreement before his own phone rang. He gently handed Eliza her son and took the phone into the other room. 

A loud crash, followed by Peggy cursing loudly came from the direction of the garage. The two sisters looked at each other before both went to find out what was happening. The found Peggy sitting down with her leg outstretched and Angelica’s motorcycle laying on it. They youngest sister explained, “I was attempting to clean it as a surprise for you when I lost my balance and tripped. The bike fell with me.” She looked sheepish, “I guess I kind of… had too strong a grip on it.” 

Laurens strolled into the room before either sister could respond and, while eying Peggy carefully, asked, “Have any of you seen Jefferson’s cane around? He lost it and doesn’t actually have a replacement.” 

Angelica sighed, “I’ll go talk to him, you two help free Peggy.” 

After she left the room, Eliza crouched down next to her sister and held her hand while Laurens carefully pulled the bike off of her and into an upright position. As a distraction while Laurens checked to make sure nothing felt broken, Peggy commented, “A guy a rich as him doesn’t have a replacement cane?”

Laurens smirked, “I guess it was a gift from a girl named Sally. I don’t know the story behind that.” He stood up and scooped the girl into his arms, “Well, nothing’s broken but you should probably stay off of it for awhile. Eliza,” He turned towards his boyfriend’s wife, “Could you go into the kitchen and get like an ice pack for your sister?”

“Of course.” Without another word she left towards the kitchen.

John looked back down at the girl, “Master bedroom or living room?” He asked, giving her a choice as to where she’ll be sitting for awhile.

After little thought she responded, “Living room. I want a tv.” 

As he deposited her down on the couch, Mulligan came into the room, sitting next to her and placing his head into his hands, “I just got a call from my boss. Apparently, I butchered this rich lady’s dress and they’re suing. Long story short, I got fired.”

Eliza walked into the room in enough time to hear that last part and she cooed softly, rushing in and pulling Mulligan in for a hug, “I’m sure we can get you your job back.” She encouraged. 

“Maybe some tv will help you get your mind off things.” Peggy suggested, before grabbing the remote from its position on the arm of the couch and beginning to flip through the channels for something interesting to watch.

As she was doing that, Angelica wandered into the living room and said, “Keep an eye out for Jefferson’s cane. He’s pretty blind without it.” And sat down on the couch without another explanation. Peggy stopped on the news channel and everyone present watched with growing horror as the story unfolded. Eliza was the one who read the newsline out loud, “War hero and lawyer Aaron Burr, suspect in the murder of twenty-two year old Mary Smith.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I know this was fast paced, so here's an explanation for those that found this chapter difficult to follow!  
> Martha dislocates her shoulder and only wants Alex to put it back- George is h*cking worried, Jefferson lost his cane, Peggy sprained her ankle, Mulligan lost his job, and Burr is accused of murder.
> 
> Ready for day 2?


	61. Day 2

“But… did he do it?” Eliza wasn’t certain which of them asked the question. At first, she was convinced that it was wrong, that there was no way Burr could possibly be capable of such a thing. Then she got to thinking… 

He is a decorated war veteran, which means that he could most certainly be capable of it. If someone had threatened Theo, or it was an act of self-defence, he would have the motivation to do it. 

Angelica cursed under her breath and left the room. At first Eliza felt that she was going to get Alex, but at the same time she knew that Angelica felt like Alex wasn’t needed in this situation. After all, it’s not like he could just fix all of their problems… right?

After several moments of watching the news in stunned silence, Angelica strolled back into the room, “I called some of my contacts at the police station where they took Burr and they put me through to him.” Eliza was once again happy that people are politically corrupt and are willing to do just about anything for the eldest Schuyler sister. Angelica continued, “He claims he didn’t do it. That he was framed by another senator because he refused to vote to impeach Washington.”

“Why would anyone want to impeach Washington?” Eliza wondered.

Angelica shrugged, “Every major politician has enemies. If they don’t then they’re not doing their job.” 

“Some politicians have more enemies than others.” Laurens added, “Like they’re enemies with everyone  _ except _ for Washington.” 

“Alex is a troubled soul.” Eliza looked down at her feet, “He just… really likes fighting people.” Everyone in the room shared a pained laugh at the expense of their stubborn Alex before getting back to the topic at hand.

Angelica sat in the chair and folded her hands in her lap, “Alright, let’s recap before anything else happens. Aaron Burr was framed for murder, Hercules lost his job, Peggy sprained her ankle, Martha Washington dislocated her shoulder, and I suppose it’s worth mentioning that Thomas Jefferson lost his cane.”

“His only cane.” Peggy spoke up, “Because a blind person only needs one cane. Because that makes sense.” 

“Blind people don’t make _ sense _ .” Laurens told her as though it were obvious, receiving a smack in the arm from Eliza for that comment. 

Angelica ignored that exchange and continued, “George is hopefully going to convince his wife to go see someone who can put her shoulder back in its socket. Peggy is going to stay off that ankle and let it heal. I am going to see who all owes me a favor so I can maybe get Burr off the hook. Eliza has connections in the press, so she’s going to sell my pregnancy to take some of the media pressure off of Burr. Tell them that Alex is the father, they’ll love that.”

With that everyone went to go and attempt to fix the problems of day one. Laurens and Mulligan stayed with Peggy to try and distract her and them from what was going on. They changed the channel to the one that plays only old school Disney and cuddled on the couch. 

The following day, Eliza was awoken by a loud argument down the hall. It sounded like Frances was shouting something before footsteps sounded down the hall and into the living room and, after a second, the front door slammed shut. Eliza groggily looked at the alarm clock next to the bed and quickly sat up when she noticed that it was half past noon. She all but lept out of the bed, but had to stop moving when she found that she had moved too quickly and could no longer see for a split second. After her head and vision cleared, she through on her pink bathrobe over her nightgown and left the room. Metaphorically, the house was on fire. 

Peggy was sitting there on the couch in tears, Laurens and Lafayette both rushed out of the house after Frances, Angelica was holding the bottle of vodka that they kept for special occasions and was drinking straight from it, and Theo was standing in the middle of the hall looking very uncomfortable. The woman noticed Eliza standing there and offered a small wave.

The first thing Eliza did was rush to her sister and yank the bottle out of her hand, “You are pregnant.” She hissed. It took a lot to get Eliza this worked up, but this seemed to be enough. She whirled around, her eyes steely, and said, “Get everyone in the living room.” 

Moments later, everyone still in the house were all around Peggy, whom Hercules and Theo had managed to calm down. Eliza took a sip from the bottle that she was holding before grimacing at the taste and setting it down, out of Angelica’s reach of course, “Now, what is going on?”

Mulligan seemed to be the only one with a clear head, “Well this morning James Reynolds came over and just took Maria.” 

Eliza looked at him in horror, “He’s going to hurt her!” She panicked.

“He’s probably hurting her right now.” Angelica told her hoarsely, almost like she had been crying herself. She looked at the bottle as though she were contemplating lunging for it, to reach Eliza picked it up and walked it to the kitchen so she could put it in the cabinet. Angelica continued, loudly for Eliza to hear, “I’m going to call Laurens. Laf is probably driving.”

Eliza walked back into the living and took her place facing them in front of the tv, “Alright, why did Frances leave and why did they go after her?”

“Laurens told her that she had to go visit her mother, he had a reason for that but I don’t remember it, and she just started yelling and then he snapped at her not to shout at him, because really she didn’t even attempt to reason with him in a calm tone of voice, and the argument escalated and then she just left.” Peggy babbled before hiccuping, which should Eliza that she was incredibly upset by the whole thing. She only hiccuped when under extreme emotional pain. Usually it’s triggered by something happening to the people that she cares about.

“Laurens and Lafayette went after her to make sure she didn’t do something to hurt herself.” Mulligan finished, “They’re going to attempt to calmly talk this out with her.” 

From the other room they heard the muffled sound of Angelica talking. Eliza hadn’t even noticed her leave. 

“Oh and,” Theo spoke up, “James Madison has been accused of statutory rape, which he didn’t commit,” She hastily added before anyone could get worked up, “But it seems he stood up for my husband and the man responsible has more power than we initially thought. Washington is out of reach so I was wondering it Alex-”

Eliza cut her off, “Alex doesn’t want anyone disturbing him while in his office for the next two days.” 

Theo winced, “I know but he has more power than any of us, and Alex could ruin _ anyone _ the way they ruined my husband and Madison.”

Eliza moved to the chair and placed her head in her hands, “Yeah…” She murmured, “It’s looking like we sure could use him.” 

Before she could suggest going to get him, Angelica ran back into the room frantically, “They got in an accident.” 

Eliza looked up at her sister, “What? Who did?”

“I heard one of those large semi-trucks honk and then just a lot of chaos on the other end of the line and then nothing. Laurens and Lafayette got into an accident with a truck.” 

Peggy hiccuped. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out for the holidays, but that didn't happen so happy new year? Here's the polysquad quickly and chaotically falling apart. Only two people left to hurt and one day before Alex comes out of his office. Think he can fix anything?


	62. Day 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short but necessary chapter.

Eliza gently rocked Philip as she hummed an improvised tune. She clutched her son a little closer to her chest, fearing, in the back of her mind, that her heart was beating so quickly and loudly that it was going to wake him up. He’s a strange baby though, very calm and a heavy sleeper.

Peggy was softly snoring from her place on the couch. Mulligan left earlier that morning to visit Laurens and Lafayette in the hospital. Angelica was standing in the doorway leading to the hall, watching Philip with an emotion that Eliza couldn’t quite register in her sleep reduced brain. 

Eventually, her sister whispered, “Eliza, what’s going on?”

Eliza closed her eyes and lightly kissed the top of her son’s head before responding, “I believe our family is falling apart.” When she opened her eyes, she noticed a wet spot on her child and realized that she must be crying. 

Angelica nodded slowly, “I’m worried about Frances. I hope she doesn’t do anything that gets her hurt.”

Eliza continued on that train of thought, “I’m worried about everyone. Peggy doesn’t seem to be getting any better, so she may need to go to the hospital and get her ankle looked at. John and Gilbert are in the hospital, neither one of them has regained consciousness. It’s been a day though and I don’t know how long people that hurt usually sleep for.” She sighed, “Not to mention that in two days Burr goes on trial for a murder that he swears he was framed for, and Madison is going through a scandal big enough to end his career unless someone with major political sway steps in. And Maria is back with her husband who is probably beating her as we stand around doing nothing.”

It seems that their conversation woke Peggy up because she said, “Not to mention Martha Washington is also hurt.”

Eliza gazed down at the peaceful face of her son before making up her mind on what she should do. Gently and wordlessly, she handed him to her younger sister and quickly went into the bedroom to pack. Afterwards she went into the garage and put them into the van. She made certain that Philip’s car seat was in its place before returning to the living and scooping him up.

To her sisters she explained, “I’m going home to father. I don’t want to raise my son in a broken family, and things don’t look like they’re getting any better.” There was immediate protest from both of her sisters, but Eliza ignored them and continued, “This is no place for a baby.” Her voice broke with all of the emotion in it, and she quickly turned to leave before either of them could talk her out of it.

As they watched the van pull down the street from the front window, Peggy and Angelica both had very different opinions on what needed to be done. Peggy’s hand scrambled on the couch and, wincing through the pain, willed herself to stand up. 

Angelica watched her sister struggle, but did nothing to help. Instead she picked up her cell phone. To Peggy she said, “Eliza’s right. I can’t have a child in these circumstances.”

Peggy looked at her sister with a horrified expression as she watched her grab her keys. She prayed her sister wasn’t going to go get what she thought she was, “Angelica, no that’s not the answer!” 

Her older sister looked at her with an almost dead expression. The house was completely silent, all of the life that inhabited it three days ago was now gone, “Margaret,” Peggy flinched when her sister used her real name, “I’ve already made up my mind. I refuse to have a child like this.”

“You need an appointment.” She tried, anything to get Angelica to wait until Peggy could make it down the hall. She was about to resort to hopping on one leg.

Angelica shook her head, “I have connections. It’ll be quick and easy.” Without another word, Peggy was helplessly as her sister left, leaving her alone in this giant house. 

Well… alone except for…

With newfound determination, Peggy hopped on one leg down the hall, pausing every few feet to regain her bearings. It was a long hall, and his office is at the very end.

When she reached the door, she raised her hand to the doorknob to open it, but watched in shock as it opened on its own, leaving her face to face with Alex. He gazed at her in surprise for a moment before explaining, “I finished my work early. What’s going on?”

Peggy couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks as she allowed herself to literally fall into his arms and take a moment to cry. As soon as she could, she straightened herself up, and explained the situation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are y'all ready for the next chapter?


	63. The One Where Alex Came Out of the Office

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write.

Alex listened to Peggy’s explanation with a passive expression. After she finished the part about her ankle and moved on to Mulligan losing his job, he wordlessly knelt down and gently took her foot in his hands, massaging it in soothing motions until she finished with what Angelica was on her way to do. When she was finished, he stood up and told her simply, “Try putting your weight on your foot.”

She followed his directions, expecting a sharp sting of agony in response, but was delighted to find it completely back to normal. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him a quick peck on the lips and saying, “Thanks.”

He smiled in response and pulled his phone out of his pocket. The battery was low, but it was just enough to shoot Eliza a quick text, ‘ _Stall your sister.’_

When that was finished he handed Peggy his phone and requested, “Hey, could you charge this for me? I gotta go take a shower.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and went into the bathroom. Being in the military gave him the ability to take very fast showers. They didn’t get a lot of time to take care of needless things like personal hygiene. Alex was out in about three minutes.

Peggy was waiting for him in the kitchen, standing next to his phone that seemed to be blowing up. She looked at him sheepishly as he went to the fridge, “I didn’t think I should answer your phone for you, but it seems that word has spread that you’re out a little early.”

He hummed in response, pulling out bread, turkey, cheese, and mustard, before proceeding to make himself a couple of sandwiches, “Hey, by the way,” he ignored what she had said about his phone, moving on to something a little more important, “Jefferson’s cane is in my office. I’m gonna grab it and take it with me when I go and talk to Angelica, and then I’m going to drive it to Monticello.”

Peggy arched an eyebrow at him, “Is _Jefferson_ really top priority?” The way she asked that made it clear what she thought the answer was.

Alex, however, had different ideas, “As long as Jefferson can’t see, he’s almost completely useless to me. He can help me handle the accusations against Madison, and then he can probably help me prove Burr’s innocence.” He paused before speculating, “I’d bet that if anyone had bothered to let him know what was going on, things wouldn’t have escalated this much. One word from either him or George could get Mulligan his job back.”

Peggy was amazed, “Just how much political power does one blind man have?”

Alex shrugged and took a bite of his sandwich, “That one man is Thomas Jefferson. More than you’d think.” He quickly went into his office and grabbed the ornate cane that was probably more valuable than anything else in the house, and returned to the kitchen. He was also holding keys to his own car, the only one still in the large garage, “Are you gonna come with me?”

Peggy grinned, “Hell yes.” She wanted to watch Alex solve everything in that Alex way of his.

They reached the clinic in perfect timing, for Angelica seemed to be finished with Eliza and was getting up to go in for the appointment, “Angelica.” Alex’s voice sounded harsh.

Angelica immediately whirled around, and her expression turned angry, “You fetched _Alex_?” She looked accusingly at her sister, who looked down at the ground and didn’t respond. She’s never been able to handle Angelica’s wrath.

Alex took another bite of his last sandwich, he had finished the other one on the way here, and told her, “I finished early. What are you doing?”

Angelica’s anger melted away and she turned more defensive, “I can’t raise a child in these conditions.”

Instead of arguing that she could do it, or that everything was going to be fine, Alex simply told her, “I can.”

Angelica gave him a look, “What?” She seemed taken aback, like she wasn’t expecting that. By this time everyone else in the waiting room was paying attention to them, even the nurses. After all, Alex is even more famous than Angelica.

He repeated himself, “I can.” Before adding, “The story you’re going with is that I am the father. I’m more than happy to play the part for you. As the father of that baby,” He gestured towards her stomach and took a couple of steps towards her, “I can take care of them in _any_ situation.”

Angelica seemed momentarily at a loss for words, something that only Alex was capable of doing, “But Alex,” She protested calmly once she found her voice, “You have a habit of disappearing in your office for days at a time. And this time everything fell apart-”

He cut her off, now standing directly in front of her, “I’m finished. I won’t disappear again. Besides-” He gave her a small smile, “Where is Philip now?”

“With-”

He didn’t give her any time to respond, “Philip is fine. He’s with Eliza at your father’s house. Everything may have fallen apart and broken down for the adults, but to Philip, nothing is different. Now,” He continued, not giving her a chance to speak, “We can stand around arguing about this, which we both know I’ll win, or we can go find Frances before something bad happens to her.”

Angelica narrowed her eyes for a moment before smirking and wrapping her arms around his neck, much like her sister had done earlier. Before giving him the same peck on the lips, she murmured, “If you ever break your promise to me, I’ll make you hurt just like you’ve made me hurt.” As they left, those in the waiting room cheered with a mixture of ‘aws’ and applause.  

Alex was able to predict where Frances had gone fairly quickly. She once told him that her favorite place to visit was the aquarium, and she would often go there to let off steam. He, and the ladies with him, found her staring up at the dolphins. She must have heard him approach because she turned around and stared at him with wide eyes, “Papa Alex.” She whispered.

He quickly pulled her in for a hug, “I heard what happened.” He told her, “I’m happy you’re alright, but there’s a bit of an emergency.” He knelt down to eye level and told her seriously, “Your dad is in quite a bit of trouble. He and Uncle Laf were in a serious car accident.”

Frances gave a sharp intake of breath, “Is he alright?” Worry was evident in her voice.

Alex shrugged, “I don’t know. They’re not really my top priority right now. They are both in the hospital and everything is being done to save them.” He finished a third sandwich that Peggy didn’t see him make as he said, “I understand that you’re still upset with your father even though you’re worried,” Frances gave a watery smile as he continued, “And what happened isn’t your fault, but you need to come home with us. We won’t make you go see your mother.”

Frances nodded slowly, “Thanks papa.” She leaned forward and gave him another hug, “You always seem to know what to say to me.”

Angelica interrupted dryly, “Talking is the only thing Alex is good at.”

Peggy laughed and argued, “He’s good at writing.”

Angelica shook her head, “Which is a form of _talking_.”

Alex looked at them both with a sour expression, “Thanks guys.” Which earned a laugh from all three ladies.

Holding’s Alex’s hand, Frances walked with the others back to Alex’s car. As they did, Alex asked, “Does anyone want to return to the house? Next I’m going to head over to Mount Vernon to fix Martha.” All three denied, wanting to see what Alex did.

Putting her arm back in her socket was probably the easiest thing Alex had to do, aside from fixing Peggy’s ankle. George seemed relieved when Alex had shown up, not expecting him to arrive before tomorrow. He gave Alex a pat on the back in thanks, and moved on to go back to his presidential duties that he had been neglecting in favor of supporting his wife. Before leaving, Alex requested, “Sir, if you’re not too busy, could you try soothing over what’s going on with Madison a little bit?”

George gave him a soft look, well soft for George Washington, and answered, “If I find the time.”

As they were walking out of Mount Vernon, Angelica asked, “Who’s next?”

Alex sighed and brushed his hair back with his hand, “Well, I wanted to go from most urgent to least urgent. Eliza, Laurens, and Lafayette are all relatively safe. I suppose we need to go return Jefferson’s cane to him.”

“Because he only has one.” It still sounded like Peggy was judging him for that.

Alex rolled his eyes, “I guess it means a lot to him or whatever. He wasn’t expecting to lose it either, it’s not like it’s ever out of his hands for long periods of time.”

“Then how did it end up in your office?” Frances wondered aloud the question that all three girls had been wondering since he revealed that it had been in there.

Alex laughed, “Oh, well do you remember the Halloween party?” He didn’t wait long for a response from them, “He left it here by accident. I guess he dropped it or something when entering his car, and he was too distracted by something I said to pick it up? Or something like that.” He got distracted for moment before focusing on what she had wanted to know, “Anyway, I put it in my office so I wouldn’t forget to return it to him. Only then I forgot about it and locked myself in there for three days…”

Angelica was quick to call him an idiot.

Monticello took a few hours to get to, and the car ride was almost awkwardly silent. For once, Alex wasn’t saying anything. He appeared to be lost in his own thoughts. Angelica was in the front seat, staring out the window with an almost content expression. Frances was playing some fashion game on her phone, and Peggy was playing a Korean dating game. Her favorite character was a blind photographer.

Upon arriving there, all present were shocked to see the massive property almost completely abandoned. Alex grabbed the cane and got out of the car, finishing off a fourth sandwich. Angelica watched him pull it out of the dashboard and gave him a judgemental look, before she and the other girls got out of the car as well. Alex shrugged in response, “I haven’t eaten in three days.”

This would be the first time Peggy and Frances have met the State Secretary, and the second time Angelica has met him. She wasn’t too impressed the first time, but then again she wasn’t really _that_ impressed with Alex when they met either.

Rather than being polite and knocking, Alex decided to do the most obnoxious thing possible and he just entered the large manor. Fortunately, the group didn’t have to explore for long, because standing in the hallway, watching them with a disgusted expression, was Jefferson himself, “Go home.” He told them flatly.

Without saying anything, Alex tossed him the cane. The item hit the blind man in the leg and flopped lifelessly down on the marble floor. Alex snorted, “You were supposed to catch that.”

Jefferson glared at him, “How? How was I supposed to catch that?”

Alex shrugged, “I dunno. Hey, where’s the bathroom?”

“You can’t just arrive at someone’s house, throw their cane at them, and then demand to use the bathroom.”

Alex stared at him blankly, “I… I just did.” He received a smack in the arm from Angelica for that.

Jefferson looked like he was debating forcing them to leave and just hitting him with the cane, but he settled on sighing and informing, “The bathroom is up the main stairs and to the left. Third door on the right.”

Alex gave a thumbs up and went to find it. While he was gone Angelica mused, “I’ve never been here before. I assumed there would be more slaves.”

Jefferson offered a smile, “There were more slaves.” His tone was much more agreeable now that Alex had left, “But I couldn’t exactly afford to keep them, so I gave them all their freedom.”

“You could have sold them and made more of a profit.” Angelica pointed out.

Jefferson nodded slowly, “Yes, I could have.” He paused and then confessed, “Actually, I strongly considered doing that, but I… owed a girl a large deal.”

“Sally.” Angelica pointed out flatly.

He winced, “Yes. Her.” His voice sounded hoarse, but then he cleared his throat and continued, “With James’ help I was able to free them and dig my house out of debt… for the most part.”

“You’re in debt.” Came Alex’s voice from the doorway. His hair was messed up from where he had undoubtedly fallen down the stairs. He didn’t phrase it like a question, it was more like a statement.

Jefferson frowned, “I hoped that you would have fallen in and drowned.”

“Wow.” Alex didn’t look the least bit hurt, “I may be clumsy, but I’m not that clumsy.” He paused, “You know… I could get you out of debt.”

Jefferson scowled, “And in return I would have to pass your stupid debt plan.”

“Genius debt plan.” Alex corrected, before shaking his head, “No, in return you have to date me.”

“Didn’t I already agree to that?” His tone was hostile yet weary; he was growing sick of Alex’s games.

Hamilton shrugged, “Sort of. You said that you would agree to go out with me if I asked.”

Jefferson narrowed his eyes, “So then what do you get out of it?”

“What?” Hamilton didn’t look like he had expected the question, “I get… you?”

Jefferson snorted, “Okay but what else?”

“...That’s all I need?” Hamilton spoke slowly, before deciding to elaborate, “Look, you’re the only person who I can hold an actual conversation with other than Angelica.” The woman waved slightly. Alex continued, “Most of the time she doesn’t really feel like dealing with me, so I just end up with people who can’t really follow me and keep a conversation going. Does that make sense?”

“No.” Jefferson didn’t hesitate, before smirking and saying, “Actually, it sort of does. Especially the part about people not really feeling like dealing with you.”

“Wow thanks.” Alex’s murmured before brightening up again, “Look, now that you have your cane, you can help me out. My family kinda… fell apart and I’m trying to put the pieces back together. Madison is involved in some major scandal and he really needs out of it. Can you… handle that?”

Jefferson waved him away, “Go, I have this now. Good luck with Burr.”

It wasn’t until Hamilton was in the car that he realized that he never mentioned Burr, and he never got an answer out of Jefferson. He supposed the man had already said yes… but…

Shaking those thoughts off, he decided to take the girls to get Eliza, and then they would go to the hospital. It would take more than one day to fix everything, and he felt it was important to let John and Lafayette know that he was taking care of things now.

He wasn’t looking forward to the argument he would have to have with Eliza for abandoning them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The family is on their way to being fixed! I never planned to have Angelica actually get an abortion, so don't worry. I have everything under control! Also one day soon Alex will win over Jefferson, and Jefferson just might let him.


	64. The one with an Argument

Alex and Eliza faced each other, neither one saying a thing. Alex looked visibly upset, while Eliza looked uncomfortable. She and Alex have never had any large argument before this, and now that it was happening she wasn’t sure how it was going to go down. Her sisters and Francis were sitting on the couch, watching it go down. Philip in the arms of the younger sister.

After several minutes, Alex spoke. “Eliza.” His voice was quiet. “You left.”

“I left.” She agreed, “I left because it was no longer comfortable to be at home.”

“No longer…” Alex repeated before giving a harsh laugh. “It’s not always going to be rainbows and sunshine.” He snapped. “Things are going to get tough and you can’t just take our child and leave when it does.”

“It’s hard for him too-”

He cut her off, “He’s an _infant_. _If_ he remembers _any of this_ it’s going to be mommy and daddy fighting about it.” He scowled, “But you were worried about it being hard for him… You know what would have been hard for him? If he grew up without a cousin that he _could have had_ but didn’t because his mommy was too busy looking out for herself that she forgot to look out for her _family._ ”

At this, Eliza raised her voice. “How was I supposed to know that Angelica would react that way?” She put her hands on her hips. “If I even thought that that was going to be an _option_ I would have talked her down from it or taken her with me. Don’t try and pin that on me.”

“And Peggy?” Alex’s voice was cold.

“What about Peggy?”

“Your sister, who was imobile on the couch. You could have taken her to the hospital once you realized that the ankle wasn’t healing properly. But instead you left your pregnant sister, who was clearly showing signs of emotional distress, to take care of her.”

“Angelica could have handled that.” Eliza snapped.

Alex scowled, “Angelica is one of the strongest women that I know, but even she can only take so much. Eliza,” Alex sighed, the anger melting away, “We’re a family. Family doesn’t get up and leave when things get tough.”

“Family doesn’t lock themselves in their room for three days with no way for their family to access them.” She retorted, “And don’t you dare tell me that we could have gone in there at any time to fetch you, because we all know how you can get.”

Alex scowled, but instead of making a snappy retort the next thing out of his mouth was, “I love you.”

Eliza was taken aback. “What?” She breathed, not entirely sure if she heard him correctly.

He took two bounds towards her and cupped her face in his hands, “I love you. And instead of saying something that I know I’m going to regret for the rest of my love, I’m choosing to say something that I know I will never regret. I love you.” His thumb wiped away a tear that she hadn’t even noticed had begun to snake its way down her cheek.

Eliza gave a smile, “I love you.” She told him. In response he simply gave a small smile and brief peck on the lips before turning back towards their audience.

All three women on the couch were watching them with almost identical smiles. Alex winked at them, “Ladies, let’s go to the hospital.”

When they arrived at said hospital, neither Lafayette nor Laurens were awake. They had been put in the same room at their request, so the family didn’t need to take turns visiting.

Alex felt his heart break at the sight of his friends in that condition, but took some comfort in the fact that he knew they were going to be fine. He walked slowly up to John’s bed before taking his hand in his own, turning it over, and placing a light kiss on the palm. Afterwards he turned and did the same to Lafayette.

He looked up at his wife, “I would love to stay with them, but right now Burr is in need of a lawyer and we still don’t know where Maria is.”

Eliza nodded, “Go.” She commanded, “We’ll stay here with them.” As he was leaving, Eliza called after him, “Don’t worry about getting Mulligan his tailoring license back. Angelica has connections and she’ll take care of it.” If he heard her, he gave no verbal response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys i'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I wasn't sure how I wanted this conversation to go. It's almost like a transition chapter, as the next one is longer and more important, but not fit for being with the rest of this one. Thanks for your feedback and support! It really keeps me going!


	65. The One With the Different Words for Penis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Divided up into three sections. The third section deals with Maria and is not for anyone who is easily triggered. Skip past that and I'll give you a quick summary of anything you missed in the end notes. Take care of yourself and if you aren't sure, skip it anyway.

Alex cursed silently and tossed his phone onto the pale blue sofa cushion next to him. Burr stood in front of him, watching with sympathetic eyes. “Still no luck?” He asked.

Alex ran a hand through his hair. “I’m worried about her.” He confessed. He had been trying to call Maria all day, but the phone just went straight to voicemail. The first couple of times it rang, but since then she must have turned it off. 

Burr nodded slowly. “So am I.” He paused before continuing, “Of course, I’m worried about a lot of things. It seems, however, that most of it has already worked itself out.”

Alex gave a short laugh. “Or at least it  _ will _ .” He said that last word with more conviction.

The case files that Alex had managed to gather for Burr’s murder trial were strewn out on the table in front of him. He had managed to get a nice, comfortable, spacious room for the two of them to discuss the situation in. It helped that both of them had plenty of connection. Just enough to afford them this luxury, but not enough to disregard the trial altogether. After all, the evidence against Burr was almost overwhelming. The man insists that he didn’t do it, and Alex believes his oldest friend. 

So in between searching through file after file and calling Maria, he had just enough time to stress about every other problem that had not yet been solved. Fortunately, everyone seems to have gotten themselves together and Alex was not the only one working through this. 

It had been three days since he visited Lafayette and Laurens in the hospital. Since then, the two of them seemed to be recovered at an alarming rate. The doctors said that they would be able to leave within the week. Martha was fine as well and Mulligan had his old job back. Frances visited her mother at a very public place and had her last conversation with her. Angelica and Peggy were with her for support.

According to Angelica, Frances told her mother that she forgives her and she hopes that she has a long and full life. She also told her that she no longer considers her a mother as she never truly acted like one. Angelica also reported that Peggy cried as soon as Frances said that she considered Angelica, Peggy, and Eliza her mothers. 

Yesterday, Angelica went to her appointment at the hospital and was told that the baby was doing very well. 

So the only problems that Alex was still facing were Maria and Burr. It seems that Maria has disappeared off the face of the planet whereas Burr was facing an impossible trial with much at stake. 

_ Alex didn’t really believe that Burr was capable of killing anyone though. _ He doubted that he could make a strong case for the man based off of just personal judgement though. He heaved another sigh and was about to call it a day when a knock sounded at the door.

Within thirty seconds of the knock, a guard poked her head in and reported, “Sir, someone is here to speak with you.”

Alex blinked slowly. “Which sir?” He checked.

The guard shrugged. “Both?”

She stepped back and Alex scowled when he saw who it was who came to visit him. “Shouldn’t you be off doing something rich and diabolical?”

“Well aren’t you in a feisty mood today.” The blind man snorted. 

“What do you want?” Alex paused and blinked in realization. “Wait. You’re not a lawyer. You have no background in law. Why are you  _ here _ ?”

Jefferson nodded. “You’re correct. I have no background in law and I don’t really care about this whole…  _ process _ .” He moved further into the room and nodded at the guard to close the door. “However, I  _ do _ care that this affects you personally and would like to see it over with so you can go back to being an annoying gremlin who sometimes hits on me and other times just hits me.”

Alex smirked and shrugged. “It’s one of my many charms.”

“So what  _ can _ you offer?” Burr interjected.

Jefferson turned to face him, for the first time since arriving actually acknowledging his presence. “An eyewitness to the actual crime.” He seemed to be holding back a laugh. “Or lack thereof.”  

“What?” Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You mean… there was no murder.” He spoke slowly.

Jefferson nodded. “I received a friendly tip from the coroner. Apparently he was paid quite a large amount of money to fake the whole thing. Together, with a lovely lady in forensics, the two teams of people made it up.” He gave a short laugh. “What was the name of the fellow who you supposedly killed again?”

Burr took a moment before responding quietly. “John Egbert.” 

Jefferson nodded. “A reportedly charming fellow who doesn’t  _ actually _ exist.” He paused. “But if he  _ did _ there would be no motive for the crime. He seemed to live a very rich and fulfilling life before you offed him. No one particularly disliked him.”

Alex interrupted his musings. “But you have evidence that this guy is fake and that the whole thing never happened.” He seemed like he was trying not to get his hopes up. 

Jefferson nodded and held out his hand. “Here, hand me a marker and your arm.”

Alex frowned. “I don’t think I want to hand you either of those things.”

“Just do it.”

Alex grumbled slightly to himself about ‘bossy attractive stupid rich people’ as he followed the command. Surprisingly, Jefferson had very neat penmanship as he wrote a phone number onto Alex’s arm. As he was writing he said, “Call this number and let them know that you spoke to me. They’ll tell you everything that you need to know.” He smirked and looked up from what he was doing, his face inches away from Alex’s. His breath ghosted over the shorter man’s lips as he whispered, “You might want to record the phone call as well. Just in case.” With a wink, he backed away from Alex and shook the marker slightly. “I’m keeping this.” He added as he turned and left the room. 

Burr sighed from where he had been standing through the whole encounter. “Well, he’s… something else.” 

Alex stared at that door that Jefferson had just exited through and mumbled, “Yeah.” He turned back to Burr with a distracted expression. “So I guess now we just need to… prove that you’re innocent using that.”

Burr looked at his friend with something akin to humor. “Yes.” He agreed eventually. He decided not comment on the way Alex always reacted when Jefferson appeared and then left. Instead, the two of them worked on a plan to get not only the judge to understand what transpired, but also the media. They both briefly wondered how Eliza was doing.

* * *

 

Eliza sneezed as she typed her smut that she was writing. It was between two men from this neat podcast that she found the other day that was basically about a town where every conspiracy theory was true. She was sitting next to Laurens’ hospital bed while the man held a sleeping Philip. 

She gazed down at her screen and bit her lip thoughtfully. Eventually Lafayette spoke, “What are you writing?” They had been reading a fashion magazine but looked up at her when she sneezed, only just now noticing her apparent writers block.

She glanced up at the two people and sighed. “I’m trying to write this…  _ erotic scene _ … for my fanfiction. I don’t want to make it repetitive though and so I kind of ran out of words.”

“Erotic words?” Lafayette put the magazine down and stared at her with interest.

Eliza rose one delicate eyebrow. “You are in no condition to perform any kind of intimate act with me.” She scolded.

Laf waved her off. “What sort of erotic words?” The asked instead.

Eliza glanced down, a light pink blush beginning to form at her cheeks. “Uhm…” She mumbled the rest.

Both men glanced at each other, neither one hearing what she said. Fortunately Peggy, who has been sitting next to Eliza holding John’s hand forgotten up until now had heard, and burst into a series of giggles. 

When the attention was directed at her, she managed to say, “She’s trying to think of words for a penis.” Both men joined her in her laughed, causing Eliza to glare.

“You guys are children.” She admonished.

Lafayette calmed down first. “Well,” They began, “You have the obvious ‘dick’ and ‘cock’.”

Eliza nodded, pleased that they at least decided to take this serious. When Laf spoke, Peggy and Laurens only laughed harder. She ignored them. “I do, but I don’t just want to rotate those three.” 

Laf agreed. “That would make for some awful writing.” He hummed in thought, but before he could make a suggest, Laurens gasped out, “What about ‘meat rod’?”

“Or beef whistle.” Peggy suggested through a series of giggles. 

“Or heat-seeking moisture missile.”

“Lap rocket.” The two of them were just taking turns now.

“Love shaft.”

Eliza had had enough of them. “Alright, never mind I’ll figure this out myself!” She snapped. She briefly wondered if Angelica was having more luck than she was. The woman had been out searching for Maria, and so far Eliza hadn’t heard any news. Eliza’s fingers stopped their rhythmic tapping on the keys and she stared blankly at the screen, overcome with worry for the pretty woman. 

She had thought that everything was over when Maria officially joined their relationship, but technically she never divorced her husband and she doesn’t have the power to get out alone. The best lawyers that Eliza knows are currently dealing with a problem on their own…

John’s worried voice broke her out of her stupor. “Eliza…” She felt a hand grab her knee and she gave him a broken smile.

“I’m fine.” She lied. “I’m just worried about Maria.” That last part was mostly honest. She wasn’t just worried about her, she had begun to fear for the worst. The last that they heard was that no one had seen or heard from Maria since she went missing. If her husband wanted to get rid of her… well he could make it so. 

John rubbed her leg soothingly, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by Alex bursting into the room. “We’ve won!” He declared.

Everyone in the room looked at him incredulously. “Already?” Peggy didn’t sound impressed or like she believed him.

Alex rolled his eyes. “Alright well we basically won.” He relented. “I gave the court the necessary papers to prove that the trial isn’t even necessary and now I’m here to help with the next thing!”

“You’re sexy when you’re victorious.” Laurens told him, a smirk forming across his mouth. Alex laughed and strode over to him, gently cupping his face in his hands and pulling his mouth towards him for a chaste kiss. After which he told him, “You’re not in any condition for what you want.” 

“Also, Alex is always sexy.” Lafayette added.

Alex turned around and winked at him. “Yeah!” He agreed enthusiastically.

Eliza watched this go down with a bright smile. “Well, Alex’s sexiness aside,” She began, cause the others to groan with disappointment. “We still need to find Maria.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “Oh yeah.” He sounded like he had forgotten. He hadn’t. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before commenting, “You’re really worried about her. I mean, I am too but we’re doing everything we can and-”

“Then we need to do more.” Eliza told him sharply, all of the previous playfulness had disappeared. “Alex, I know you. I know what you’re capable of. Find her and bring her home.”

Alex stared at her for a long moment before sighing. “You already love her so much.” He murmured. 

“How would you feel if John went missing?” Peggy interjected nervously.

“Devastated.” Lafayette answered for him. 

Alex turned to look down as his boyfriend, who gave him a patient smile. “Go get the girl, Alex.” He encouraged. 

Alex gave a short burst of laughter before striding out of the room. Eliza watched him go, biting her lip thoughtfully. “Do you think he’ll find her.”

“Oh yeah.” John nodded, sounding certain. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw her in this room by midnight tonight.”

“In fact,” Laf continued, “I would be surprised if we didn’t see her in this room by midnight tonight.” 

Eliza smiled at the both of them, for real this time. “Thank you for trying to cheer me up.” She breathed.

Laurens gave her a confident smile. “We’ll see her again.” He promised, before shifting himself in an attempted to get more comfortable. “Now I’m gonna go to sleep. Wake me up when Alex gets back.”

* * *

 

Maria watched with dull eyes as her husband finished another bottle and threw it at her, missing her head by three inches. She no longer flinched. He already convinced her that no one was coming for her, that the large family that she was already so fond of was not concerned and did not need her. 

He was ranting about something that happened at work, not looking at her, but slightly over her left shoulder. She let her eyes wander to her surroundings, not worried that he would be upset. He’s too intoxicated to notice whether or not she was actually listening. 

She was bound to a wooden pole in the shed that ran from the ground to the ceiling. She doesn’t know much about interior design, but she’s pretty sure that this beam is one of the things holding the shed up. 

Clearly the shed is very old, if the splinters decorating her skin show anything about that. Her red dress was ripped up the thigh, which is useful for when he takes her and then leaves. Not useful to her, but just useful in general. He claims that he doesn’t want to waste time looking at his whore wife. 

She misses Eliza. She misses Alex. 

Her hair, once so long and flawless, has been sheared off with a pair of rusty kitchen scissors. It lay in a pile at her feet. He cut her scalp when he was shaving her bald. 

He apparently finished his rant and stared at her, his eyes focusing. 

He turned around to leave, muttering something about her being a stupid useless bitch, when the shed door opened. Maria turned to look, and was met with a very shocked looking Alex. His eyes took everything in- the state of her dress, the pile of waste and hair at her feet, and the splintery pole that she was attached to- before turning and violently punching her husband in the nose. She heard a sickening crunch and she was certain that his nose was broken. Alex punched him again, and he collapsed. He seemed to be considering another punch but decided instead to turn towards the girl.

Quickly he moved to untie her, but the rope needed to be cut. He bent his head down to her ear and whispered, “Maria, I’ll be right back. I left my knife in the car.” Before quickly rushing out of the shed. 

Maria’s brain had not yet caught up with what was going on, and she turned her lifeless gaze to the motionless body of her husband. The dim light of the streetlight outside highlighted his face just enough for her to see the blood trickling down from his nose.

Alex returned seconds later, not bothering to step over her husband and just stepping on him. She watched him bring the knife close to her, and was shocked at how it did not cut her skin. As soon as she was no longer bound, she collapsed. She couldn’t find the strength to stand. 

Alex caught her easily, pulling her against him and kissing the top of her head. She smelled the scent of coffee mixed with something that was distinctly Alex (it was probably spite or bitterness) and she wept. For the first time she felt hope and comfort. Her hands scrambled across his back, attempting to bury herself completely inside of him. 

Alex whispered, “Maria, I’m going to pick you up and carry you to the car, okay?”

She whimpered in response. He took that as consent and carefully picked her up, listening cautiously for any sounds of discomfort. She merely turned her face to shield her eyes from the sudden onslaught of orange light from the street lamp. He carefully strapped her into the passenger seat. When he slid into the drivers side next to her, he reached over and wiped away her tears. She leaned into his touch. 

Alex frowned and told her, “I’m taking you to the hospital. When the situation with Burr is over, we’re going to get you out of that marriage, okay?”

She met his soft brown eyes and responded with the only thing that she could think of. “Eliza.” Her voice was hoarse from not using it in so long. She swallowed and then winced. There was no moisture and so the action only caused more discomfort. Alex had a bottle of Root Beer, but Maria didn’t think that she should drink that. Not if they were going to a hospital where there would be water. 

Alex gave her a soft smile. “She misses you very much. She’s going to be so happy to see you.”

“My hair.” Was the next thing that came out of her mouth. Eliza told her that she liked her long hair.

Alex eyed her shaved head for a moment before responding dryly, “You’re the most beautiful person I have ever seen. Eliza is going to like your hair no matter its length.” He paused before continuing. “You know, I kind of like it short.”

“Lafayette.” 

Alex furrowed his brow. “What about them?”

“The most beautiful person.” She elaborated, before getting another grip of her surroundings. They had stopped at a red light. She hadn’t realized that they were going yet.

Alex gave a soft chuckle. “Well, I think you two are pretty equal.”

Maria didn’t respond, instead opting to shift slightly and look out the window. All of the passing lights and buildings was almost mesmerizing. “You saved me.” She mumbled, unaware of how her eyelids were sagging.

Alex quickly reached over a hand to touch her, but stopped himself. “Maria.” His voice was even. She turned to look at him and he continued. “Maria you need to stay awake.” 

“Okay.” She agreed. That wasn’t unreasonable. It was actually by far the most reasonable request that she’s received for the past week or so. She looked back out the window, no longer allowing herself to doze off. The smell of Alex was all around her, further waking up her brain and allowing her to think clearly for the first time in awhile. 

With this thought came an epiphany. “You’re my person.” She breathed.

“Your what?” Alex glanced at her for a brief moment before turning his eyes back to the roads. His voice wasn’t hostile, only curious.

“My person.” She repeated.

“Like how Eliza and I are each others people?” He checked.

She slowly shook her head as best as she could. “No. Like…” She trailed off, trying to decide how to phrase it. She brightened and told him, “James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They are each others’ people.”

“Ah. Alright I get it.” She wasn’t sure if he did, but she believed that he had an idea of what she meant. As she stared at him, she considered that thought and all of its implications. She believed that if anyone other than Alex had shown up to rescue her, she may not have been so relaxed and comfortable. She knew that she trusted Alex. She knew that Alex was not going to take advantage of her in her current state. She knew that Alex did not find her appearance or smell disgusting. That he meant it when he told that that she was still the most beautiful person he had ever seen. She firmly believed that he was wrong. She may have used Lafayette as an earlier example, but in reality she believed that there was no person more beautiful than Alexander Hamilton. 

She turned her head to look at him, and felt a smile forming across her lips. The man who saved her life, the man who fought for her, and the man who invited her into his inner circle and opened his family to her in her time of need. Her person. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who skipped the third section: Alex rescued Maria and she realized that he was her person. Also she's gonna have short hair now.
> 
> This chapter was long but worth it.


	66. The One with the Supreme Court Case

Alex laughed as he watched his best friend attempt to balance himself on crutches and reach the bread that was on top of the fridge at the same time. Maria and Eliza were at Maria’s therapy appointment, Angelica and Peggy took Philip to Philip’s grandfather’s house, Frances was in her room, and Mulligan took Lafayette to his shop to show them a dress that he made for them. This left Alex admiring his boyfriend’s ass in the kitchen as he struggled to get something that Alex could probably get for him if he weren’t busy watching instead. It’s not his fault that he liked the view of John in sweatpants.

Once Laurens finally managed to grab it, without glancing down, he threw it as hard as he could at Alex. Alex laughed again as he caught it before it could hit him and asked, “If I hadn’t laughed would you have known I was here?”

“You’re an ass.” Was the the response.

“Mhm.” Alex agreed, bringing the bread to the table as Laurens hobbled over there. While his boyfriend sat down, Alex set about finding the ingredients for a sandwich. After he brought them over to the table, while Laurens watched in amusement, he made the both of them two sandwiches each, before setting about putting everything away. As he was doing that, his boyfriend commented, “You know, I could have made the food. Just because my legs don’t work doesn’t mean- what are you doing?” He asked that last part as Alex stopped putting away the food and made another sandwich.

He then grabbed a bag of Doritos and a can of Rootbeer from the fridge, winked at his boyfriend, and brought the food down the hall. After knocking on the door at the end of the hall and hearing the, “Come in!” He brought the young girl the food.

Frances’ eyes lit up, “Thanks Papa! I was getting pretty hungry actually.”

Alex grinned back, “I almost forgot about you.” He confessed jokingly, before continuing, “So are you planning on coming out of your room for the next…” He thought about it, “forty minutes or so?”

France picked up the sandwich and eyed him suspiciously, “Why?” Her expression changed to horror, “It’s not my day to do the dishes, is it?”

Alex shook his head with another laugh, “No, I’ll get them done.”

Frances nodded, looking relieved, “Alright. Just don’t be loud please I don’t want to be scarred any more than I am.” She figured out quickly what Alex was implying.

Alex grimaced, “You may want to put on headphones.”

Frances scowled and threw the nearest thing that she could grab, which happened to be a stuffed dragon, at him, “Okay go on, get out of here!” After he left she put on her headphones, muttered the word “gross” and went back to watching Howl’s Moving Castle.

Meanwhile, Alex went back into the kitchen and told him, “I was taking food to your daughter.”

Laurens looked up from his second sandwich, he had already finished the first one, and shrugged. “Oh yeah.” As though he had forgotten as well, even though they both knew that if Alex hadn’t done that then Laurens would have.

Without another word, Alex set about eating his own food. Laurens finished before him and watched him eat with an almost bored expression, eventually saying, “You know the one sucky thing about breaking my leg?”

Alex glanced up at him and arched an eyebrow. He swallowed his food before asking, “What _one_ sucky thing?”

“It hurts anytime I try to move it in a way that allows me to get laid.” He sounded resigned.

Alex laughed, “Have you tried?”

“With Angelica.” He paused. “And Mulligan. And Burr.”

“That all?” Alex muttered sarcastically.

Laurens thought about it. “Laf and I tried but neither one of us was really feeling up to it…”

Alex looked at him with a dry expression. “So basically you’ve tried with everyone except me.”

Laurens took one look at his expression and laughed. “Alex, are you jealous?”

“Yes.” Alex sat back and glared at his boyfriend, the rest of his food all but forgotten.

“You’ve been busy!” Laurens protested.

Alex scoffed. “Busy. Yeah, right. Doing _what_?”

Laurens pursed his lips before telling him, “You’ve been busy with Eliza and Maria. You’re also planning on going on your second date with Jefferson tomorrow, so you’ve also been busy planning out what insults you’re going to use to still let him know how much you despise his political views while all the same maintaining that you find him attractive.”

“I was not busy last night.” Alex pointed out, refusing to lose this argument. He wasn’t sure why exactly he was arguing… he just knew that he didn’t want to lose.

Laurens gave a playful smirk. “You’re not busy right now.”

“Didn’t you just say that you can’t do anything with your leg in that condition?” Alex checked.

After giving a tired sigh, his boyfriend yielded, “Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

Alex watched him as he quietly ran his nail across the top of the table in circular motions, the conversation all but forgotten. After finishing his food, he stood up. When Laurens moved to stand up as well, Alex raised his hand and stopped him. He moved to put the plate in the sink before walking back to him and kneeling next to him. He raised his arms and turned the chair his boyfriend was sitting in so that the man was facing him, a curious expression on his face.

Alex quickly glanced at the time on the stove, before turning his attention back to the man in front of him. “I have to go in about ten minutes.” He knew that he told Frances forty minutes, but that was just him being ambitious.

Laurens raised his eyebrows. “Then you’d best get ready.”

Alex rolled his eyes and kissed his boyfriend’s knee. “I promise,” he paused, placing another kiss further up his thigh, “That when you get better, I will treat you to a full night of whatever you want.”

Laurens eyed him suspiciously. “Whatever I want?” He echoed.

Alex nodded as one of his hands began to massage his boyfriend’s groin. “For now, we’ll just have to settle with a quick,” He glanced at the time again, “Eight minute blow job.”

John grinned and ran a hand through Alex’s hair. “Isn’t my daughter in the room down the hall?”

“Just be quiet and we won’t need to pay for her to have therapy.” Alex suggested helpfully, pulling down the man’s pants just enough to get his dick out. He did have a feeling that he wasn’t wearing underwear, and grinned in approval to find that he was right.

Someone clearing their throat interrupted what they were about to do, and they both turned to see Eliza and Maria standing in the doorway. Eliza looked amused and Maria looked curious. Alex laughed as neither man moved to cover John up. “Hey ‘liza. I didn’t expect to see you guys back to soon!”

Eliza gave Maria a soft look as she gently led the girl into the dining room to sit down at the table. “Well, we were scheduled to stay at the therapy appointment longer, but Maria is apparently doing great! So the doctor said that it would be alright if we join you in going to see the Supreme Court case!”

“Is that today?” John asked, only now moving to fix his clothing. Alex watched with an almost disappointed look.

Eliza nodded. “Yep! James Madison is the one fighting for it, and since we’re dating him, we thought it appropriate to go in person to show our support.”

John didn’t look convinced until Maria interjected, “Jefferson is going to be there and Alex wants to see him.”

Alex turned slightly red as he argued, “No! I just want to be there for important historic landmarks. I enjoy watching as the foundation of our country is shaped! I-”

“Have a huge crush on Jefferson and enjoy every opportunity you can get to talk to him.” Eliza finished, giving her husband a kiss on the cheek and helping him to his feet.

Alex rolled his eyes. “Yeah okay fine.” He said sarcastically, “But I might just leave you guys here.”

“More alone time with Jefferson?” John teased.

“Shut up!” With that, Alex grabbed the keys off the counter and went to find his shoes.

Eliza and Maria exchanged a glance when Alex called that he lost them and needed help, and the latter left to go show him that they were in plain sight.

When she left, Laurens said, “One day he’ll get his life together and stop losing everything.”

Eliza snorted. “It’s more likely that Aaron Burr shoots him in the abdomen than Alex gets his life together.”

Soon after, Alex reappeared in the dining room with Maria just slightly behind him. He jingled the keys. “Coming?”

Eliza helped Laurens stand up and walked beside him to the car. The two of them lingering behind Alex and Maria. Laurens eyed them carefully. “How is she doing, really?”

“I think,” Eliza spoke slowly, “That she’s doing better. I’m sure it’s going to be a long time before she fully trusts any of us, but I think with the therapy and unconditional support that the family gives her, as well as plenty of time to do it at her own pace, she’ll be back to… not _normal_ but her new normal.”

“You don’t think she’ll ever be how she was again?”

“No, I don’t. She went through so much, I think we just need to continue supporting her and being there for her.” Their conversation ended as soon as they got into the car, and Alex was telling them a story of the time that he accidentally convinced a town that his house was haunted.

When they arrived at the massive justice building, the Washingtons were already there waiting for them. George told them that he had some important news that couldn’t wait, so as he pulled Alex aside to talk to him, Martha led them up the stairs and into the building.

Many people were congregating about, murmuring to themselves about what the case was going to be about. There were diverse people from all over the country just to see the outcome of the first major Supreme Court case. There were even quite a few freed slaves meandering about, as well as quite a few not-so-freed slaves walking near their masters and avoiding eye-contact with all around. The sight made Eliza feel sick to her stomach, but she attempted to listen attentively as Martha told her about her weekend.

They were throwing a going away party for the Washingtons in a few days as the two of them officially left the family, and apparently there was another event that coincided with that one. That was what George was telling Alex about.

When they entered the room that the case would actually be discussed, they were greeted by both Madison and who Eliza assumed to be Jefferson. She had never actually met the man before.

Madison quickly began talking to Martha about the conflict, and his views on it. Apparently he was hoping to set up something called ‘judicial review’. Eliza stopped listening after the first couple of minutes. Jefferson stood silently beside him, and appeared to be staring at Eliza, although the woman new that he wasn’t really ‘staring’ at anything.

Eventually he said, “You’re married to Hamilton.”

Eliza offered a smile. “I am. He should be around here somewhere if you’re interested in talking to him.”

Jefferson frowned. “Actually, he might not be too happy to see me right now.”

This alerted the others to their conversation. “Why not?” John asked, narrowing his eyes slightly. He was always ready to defend Alex.

Martha interjected, “You guys, it’s not Thomas’ fault. I couldn’t think of a better candidate to replace him.”

“Replace...who?” Eliza was confused.

Martha continued, “And it’s certainly better than having Adams do it. At least in regards to your family.” That made Eliza even more confused than she was before.

Fortunately, her confusion was cleared up when Alex stormed into the room, glaring at the blind me. “You son of a bitch! Why would you run for president and take Washington’s job!”

“Son-” Washington tried.

“Don’t call me that!”

“Son,” He ignored, “I was going to step down anyway. No man should rule forever.”

Alex turned his glare on him. “And this is why you guys are leaving us? You’re done being president and you’re done dating us.”

“Alexander,” Martha spoke in a soothing tone, “We are ready to go to our estate and rest. Besides, I’m certain that you’ll find Thomas a much more appealing replacement than Adams.”

“I don’t want either of them.” Alex argued. With another angry glance at Jefferson, he huffed and stormed out of the room, leaving the others to stand by helplessly and watch after him.

“I guess,” Jefferson drawled, “That my joining your ‘family’ is off the table.” He tilted his head and faced Eliza. “But I never really thought that it was on it in the first place.”

He slowly walked out of the room after Alex, turning to go in a different direction than the other man. Eliza frowned, her delicate feathers becoming concerned. She didn’t care about the Supreme Court case anymore. She cared that her husband’s heart was breaking, and that it seemed nothing was going his way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll be good at pacing a chapter correctly, but that day is not today! Getting closer to the climax of the story!
> 
> Also I'm aware that, historically, everything about this is wrong and that this supreme court case (Marbury v Madison in case you were wondering) didn't happen until like the early 1800's. But like nothing about this fic is historically accurate. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Also you're not getting smut yet. You haven't /earned/ it.


	67. The One with the Farewell Address

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring probably the most words George has ever said in every other chapter combined.

Eliza knocked on Alex’s study door as more guests began to arrive. The man came out of the room to eat and sleep, but during the day he stayed in there. The only people he allowed in to see him were Maria and Philip. 

She knew that he was upset about losing not only a good member of their family, but also a good boss and leader of the country. She also knew her husband well enough to know that he was stressed about not only their future, but also his future in the government. 

However, now was the time to say farewell to the Washingtons. For that, Eliza knew that Alex needed to be out of his study and in the center of attention where he belonged. 

It took a couple of minutes, but eventually the door opened. Instead of Alex standing there, it was Maria. Upon peering into the office, Eliza noticed Alex typing furiously on an open word document while his headphone blared loud music into his ears. She had always found music to be counterproductive when trying to write something, but everyone has different tastes…

Eliza smiled at her girlfriend. “It’s almost time for the party. Alex needs t o be out of his office and nicely dressed in about three minutes.” She informed. Maria nodded and closed the door.

Eliza rolled her eyes at the almost hostile response and returned to the kitchen to finish making the food with Lafayette. The Frenchman had been oddly quiet this entire time, and Eliza was beginning to worry. She tried to pry details out of them and found her concerns met with soft smiles and hair pats before they returned to work on preparing the food. She found that Laf was a much better cook than she was so she let them take the lead in the kitchen. 

After checking on them and making sure they didn’t need anything, Eliza moved to the living room to see how things were going in there. Laurens and Peggy were sitting in the loveseat together as she played a game on her phone and he watched while idly sipping his can of Root Beer. Angelica sat on the couch with Theodosia and Martha as the three of them discussed her pregnancy. George sat on the chair and bounced Philip on his knee as Burr explained something to him. It sounded like a piece of legislation that he wanted the President to sign before leaving office.  Of course, knowing Burr it could also be a piece of legislation that he did not want the President to sign. The senator didn’t usually take stances on anything. Eliza found that he was the exact opposite of her husband in that respect. 

The woman joined Laurens and Peggy, finding what they were doing to be the most interesting of the groups. The man glanced up at her and frowned, “Alex isn’t coming?”

“He’ll be here.” She responded smoothly. The girl trusted Maria to relay the message. It wasn’t much longer after she said that that Alex came into the room with Maria lingering just behind him. She was beginning to warm up more to the others in the family bit-by-bit, but Eliza felt no need to rush her into things. She couldn’t imagine what the girl went through at the hands of her ex-husband. 

Alex appeared relaxed, and quickly went to stand behind the chair that Washington was sitting in, leaning on it and listening to their conversation for a short minute before quickly and hastily giving his opinion. 

Maria opted to go hover near Eliza. She didn’t speak, instead deciding to silently brush her fingers through Eliza’s hair. Eliza found it to be a comforting gesture and Maria seemed to enjoy it. 

The evening went just as that, with Alex and George reminiscing on the good old days and the family spending time together. Eventually though, George sighed and began, “Son-”

“Don’t call me that.” But Alex was smiling.

He was ignored. “Son, we need to discuss the election.”

Alex frowned at him. “What is there to discuss? You’re leaving and I’m going to lose my job and one of the two men I hate the most is going to president. The other is going to be vice-president.” He ended the sentence bitterly, all good humor gone from his face.

The President sighed and placed his hand on Alex, the closest thing he’ll get to physically comforting the man. “I understand that you’re worried about the future, but I also understand that the future is going to be here whether we want it to or not. Whatever trouble our nation finds itself in, whatever scandals arise or wars take place between nations that involve America or do not, you need to remember that it is still America. 

No matter who is acting as the figurehead, whether it’s me or John Adams or some billionaire who looks like a cross between a sixty year old who spent too much time under a tanning bed and a surfer who used too many chemicals in his hair, our country is still our country. It is still the same nation that we fought to make our own, it is still the same nation that is ever evolving and changing, the same nation that tries it’s hardest to welcome  _ everyone _ . No matter who is leading it, America will still get itself into fights that it cannot win, it will still make so many mistakes, it will still be the home of immigrants and natives alike that just want to  _ survive _ .” 

By this time Alex had met his gaze and was watching him steadily. “As of right now, you’re worried about John Adams or Thomas Jefferson being the next president, and on of them  _ will _ be the president, that you’re beginning to wonder if you should take you family and go somewhere else.” Before Alex could deny it he held his hand up and stopped him. “I’m not deaf my boy, I heard you talking with Eliza about schools in Canada for Philip and Frances. If you truly believe that it would be better for them to leave here and go to live up north, then you should do it. Or you an show them what it’s like to stay in your home and not run away from what’s troubling you. You can show them that no matter who is acting as the figurehead for the nation, it is still and always will be the people who are leading. You could leave, Alex, or you could be one of the greatest leaders America has ever had.”

As soon as he finished, his wife cleared her  throat, getting Alex’s attention on her. “I don’t know you as well as my husband but,” She smiled softly, “I do know that if America has you and your family to fight for her, if the lgbtq community has you and Eliza to act as their figurehead, and those in captivity have you and Laurens to fight for their freedom, then she’s a much better home for everyone who chooses her over everywhere else.” She winked at him. “And I bet you could do even more for all of those who it seems were forgotten if you continued to be in a position of power, in good graces with President or Vice-President.” She smiled coyly and finished with, “I believe it’s time for you to play politics again, instead of just abandoning everything you called home.”

From that point on, the night went much smoothly. The laughter and stories felt less forced. The only difference was that Alex was quieter. He seemed to be considering the President and First Lady’s words to him. 

Eventually it was time for them to leave, but as they bid their farewells and went to the vehicle, someone lightly touched Alex’s harm, getting his attention. He raised and eyebrow. “What’s up Laf?” The Frenchman seemed to be anxious about something.

They began with, “I already spoke to Eliza about this, and then I talked with the rest of the family. You are the only person who I haven’t-”

Alex cut him off. “You’re going with them, aren’t you.” 

His partner looked shocked and Alex laughed. “I know you. You’ve been in love with them for far longer than you’ve been in love with me. It’s okay.” He gently squeezed Lafayette’s hand, the setting sun making it almost difficult to see the emotion expression in their dark gaze. 

Without another word, they pulled Alex to them and kissed him firmly on the lips. When the two broke apart, they whispered to him, “I will always love you, and we will see each other again.” 

Alex laughed and leaned in to kiss their nose. “Yeah yeah, no go on. You don’t want to keep them waiting.” The two embraced and kissed once more before Lafayette finally turned to go. Before getting into the vehicle, they looked back one final time and their gaze locked onto Alex’s. Without another word, they got into the car and disappeared from the family’s sight.

Alex felt a soft hand clasp his own, and turned to see Eliza standing just behind him with tears in her eyes. He smiled and pulled her to him, kissing her forehead and telling her, “You know that we’ll see them again.”

“I know.” She responded. “But I’m still going to miss them, and they even gave me the longest to process this information.” Alex laughed and kissed the top of her head once more before heading back inside. When she walked into the living room, she found that Alex had already gone back into his study. 

Sighing, she set about to cleaning up. Joined only by Maria, the two of them finished within the hour. As the two ladies walked by Alex’s office to bring Frances her phone that she had left on the couch, they both paused when they heard him talking to someone.

“...nd one day it’s going to be up to you to do everything that I wasn’t able to.” The words alarmed both of them and they cracked his door open just enough to see what was going on.

A large smile stretched across Eliza’s face when she saw Alex holding Philip so that the boy was standing on his dad’s lap. A large smile on the boy’s face as Alex spoke to him. “You’re going to have to not only fight for everything that I fought for, as I’m not raising a democratic-republican in my house, but you’re also going to have to fight for your own causes as well.” Another giggle and Philip reached forward to grab his dad’s nose. Alex laughed and finished with. “But for now you can settle for learning everything you can from your mother. She’s the smart one you know.” 

Shaking her head slightly, Eliza backed away from the office door and walked down the hallway, Maria close behind her. The evening went a lot better than she thought it would be. Who knew that all it needed was a farewell address from a very good president. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew from the beginning that Lafayette was going to go with them, but I don't want it to be a sad thing. They're going to miss them, but Laf will be back one day. And they wouldn't be happy without Martha and George.


	68. The One with the Room Where It Happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a long-awaited chapter.  
> Warning: this chapter contains a dog dying, but it's not graphic. Don't read if it's a trigger for you.

Four people sat in the closed room as thunder rattled the building. One of them had a twitching eye, one of them couldn’t see through his eyes, one of them was very uncomfortable and did not want to be there, and the fourth person was a dog. Even though he had called the meeting, Alex was still very angry with Jefferson. Still he knew that he had to get his plan passed before Adams was officially elected president, and the best way for him to do that was through Madison and Jefferson. The two of them had a lot of influence, perhaps more so than Alex, and if he wanted to try and  tackle the larger issues like slavery and equal rights for all then he would have to start small and get his debt plan passed.

Madison had arranged the meeting, so Alex was more than surprised when Jefferson showed up with a very good boy beside him. Seeing him calmed Alex significantly, effectively taking his mind off of the brewing storm outside. Nothing had been said between the four of them yet, Alex just recently having sat down across from his boyfriend, and his nemeses/secret crush that Alex wasn’t quite ready to admit yet even though he had openly flirted with him.

It didn’t take long before Madison “got a phone call” and had to leave the silent room. After watching the door close Alex found himself asking, “So what’s your dog’s name?”

Jefferson smirked slightly. “Biscuit.”

Alex couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath at hearing such a thing and found himself wanted very badly to coddle the dog. “You know, I’ve always been an animal person.” He found himself babbling. “Unfortunately I’ve never been in a position to own pets of my own. When I was younger I couldn’t afford to take care of one. I had a German Shepherd while I was in the military named Capri, but she was shot while attempting to rescue a child so I never got the chance to bring her home with me.” Alex’s voice cracked when he mentioned the loss of his best friend. Seeing Biscuit being such a good boy just brought up so many old memories. He was a golden Labrador who just looked so good in his vest. A working professional that the world doesn’t deserve.

Alex jumped slightly when he felt Jefferson’s hand touch his own, not noticing the man reaching across the table. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Alex chewed on his lip thoughtfully. He hadn’t talked much about his time spent with Capri. He only had her in the short time that he didn’t have Laurens, so the others didn’t know about her. But… it would be nice to have someone else know her as he did. “Sure.” He found himself saying. “But it’s a long story.”

“We have a lot of time.”

Alex nodded slowly before diving into his story. “I was nineteen at the time. I had been working as one of Washington’s aids and was asked to take a message to one of the other generals, I forget the one. On the ride there, it had begun to storm pretty badly, and as we were horribly underfunded we didn’t have any cars or anything like that so Capri and I were walking. Well, we were lucky enough to meet a woman named Athena, and she took us back with her to her master’s farmstead. She was a slave at the time, but she’s free now.” That wasn’t relevant information, Alex just felt like mentioning it. “Well anyway Capri and I were satisfied sleeping in the barn instead of the main house, so that way we could leave as soon as we noticed the storm begin to calm without disturbing anyone. I guess I fell asleep because I woke up to the sound of someone yelling.

“Capri was growling very quietly, so I knew instantly that something was wrong. When I peered out to see what was happening I noticed that David Peterson, that was the name of the white man who owned the land, that he was surrounded by a group of enemy soldiers. Behind him, his wife and their daughter were trapped inside the house. The house was being set aflame by a few of them.” Alex paused in his telling of the story to sip at his drink.

“Well anyway, I knew that if I just started shooting everything would go downhill. So I decided to take the John Laurens’ approach.”

“The John Laurens’ approach.” Jefferson repeated. He had been very focused on Alex’s story to this point. His sightless gaze never straying from the other’s face.

Alex smirked, his eyes brightening up just slightly. “When he and I would fight together and we got in a bind, sometimes he would just put down his gun and sneak around with a knife. If he timed it perfectly he proved to be a very good assassin.”

“That’s only mildly scary.”

Alex laughed. “Yeah, well, anyway. He got very good at it by the end of the war, and when we needed to do a stealth mission that’s exactly what we called it.”

Jefferson eyed him reproachfully. “I get the feeling you weren’t an ordinary soldier.”

“I literally cannot tell you anything about that.” Alex stated. “What I can tell you is that while I was doing that, Capri was going towards the woman and child. The woman got out without any problems, however the little girl was stuck underneath some pieces of the house that were falling down. None of the enemy soldiers noticed me, but one of them, a lady with glasses if I remember correctly, saw what Capri was doing and-” Alex’s voice broke and he couldn’t stop a few tears as he finished with, “opened fire.”

He wasn’t able to finish his story, not only because it was too painful, but also because Jefferson had moved very quickly. He cupped Alex’s face between his hands, wiping the tears with his thumbs. Alex had enough time to breathe out, “sorry” before the two of them locked lips in a very salty yet satisfying first kiss. It began awkwardly, but quickly grew heat.

Too quickly, Jefferson pulled away. Both of their lips had grown just slightly swollen from the kissing, but instead of commenting on that or on what he was told, Thomas merely stated, “That had literally nothing to do with your debt plan.” Earning a sharp laugh and a swat on the arm from Alex.

“Listen,” Alex began, “I know you didn’t read it because you’re blind and I didn’t write it in brail. And if you had someone read it to you, you probably would have fallen asleep from boredom or whatever. But this would work!”

Thomas sighed and moved back to his own chair. “Okay fine. We’ll compromise.” At that word, he had Alex’s utmost attention. Hamilton honestly wasn’t expecting to be able to compromise. “In return for James and I to pass your debt plan, you’ll help me out with my… current financial problem.”

“You mean how you’re broke.” Alex stated flatly.

“I mean how I’m broke. This will require, of course, spending a lot of time together-”

“Are we allowed to make-out more?” Was Alex’s only question.

“I was pretty sure that was a given. Also, it would mean you and your… _family_ spending time at Monticello.”

Alex almost agreed to this compromise without even thinking about it, knowing that it would mean adding Thomas to the relationship entirely. Of course, before doing that, he knew that he had to call Eliza. He didn’t like to make major decisions without first consulting her.

However, when he called her she didn’t answer the phone. He called again, and she didn’t answer the phone. The third time he called, Maria answered, said, “She’s busy”, and hung up on him. He stared down at the object with his mouth set in a straight line, neither smiling nor was he frowning.

“Alex?” Thomas prompted.

“Oh er… yeah. Yeah I think I can do that.” He made a mental note to check up on Eliza later to tell her what was going on, but he was pretty sure she would be cool with it. The two of them finished their meal, attempting to enjoy themselves and talk about anything other than politics.

By the end of the night, Alex was confident that he made a good decision. His mind never returned to the storm, and instead his attention was entirely on his newest boyfriend. Strangely enough, James Madison never rejoined them. He wondered if he really did have an issue that he had to go deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learning a little bit more about Alex's backstory.  
> The chapter with what Eliza is busy "doing" will be the next one.


End file.
